Outsider
by Sunny D Writez
Summary: Bonnie's life changes with the arrival of a new vampire in Mystic Falls. He's sexy and determined, and will not leave Bonnie alone, no matter what her undead friends have to say about it. A certain Salvatore has a lot to say about it, and will do whatever it takes to get this guy away from Mystic Falls and out of Bonnie Bennett's life forever. AU.
1. A New

**A/N: This story is set during the summer after Graduation - Season 4 and before the start of season 5, and it's AU so Bonnie is a witch and has never died (neither has Jeremy), there's no Silas, and Stefan isn't trapped in an underwater safe.**

**This chapter is named after the song A New by Little Dragon**

**Hope you enjoy!**

Disclaimer: I do not The Vampire Diaries or the characters aside from my OC. TVD belongs LJ Smith and The CW. No copyright infringement intended..

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><p><strong>1 - A New<strong>

Green eyes bore into blue in stony silence. Neither entity was shaken, although each had reason to fear the other. A beautiful, fairly new vampire entered the room and took in the odd pair, eyebrows raised. This was not the first time she'd walked into a situation like this, but everything had been fine when she'd left the room moments ago.

"What's up guys?" She questioned. Neither her boyfriend nor her best friend tore their eyes from the other.

"Nothing much," Damon Salvatore, the eldest vampire in the room, responded. Their was a hint of menace beneath his casual tone. "Just threatening each other as usual."

"Looks like a staring contest to me," Elena Gilbert commented, sticking a straw into the blood bag she'd momentarily left to retrieve. Damon finally lifted his blue eyes from Bonnie Bennett's to look at Elena.

"You lost," Bonnie said, simply. Damon could never put fear in her heart, no matter how many life threats he imposed or menacing looks he threw her way. She was just as good, if not better, at these things and Damon always insisted on learning the hard way.

"Whatever," Damon muttered, taking the blood bag Elena was holding out to him. "There was a distraction. How could I continue to stare at anything but this woman when she walks in the room?" Elena giggled as Damon grabbed her by the waist and pulled her close to him, planting soft kisses on her. Bonnie rolled her eyes and stood.

"On that note, I should be going," she said, grabbing her keys from the dining table of the Salvatore kitchen. "I'm going to stop by the Grill, visit Jeremy real quick before heading home."

"But I thought we were going to have a movie night tonight," Elena complained, pushing out of Damon's hold.

"That sounded good before your boyfriend made it clear he was going to be there and wasn't going anywhere," Bonnie explained. "That doesn't sound like much of a girls' night to me."

Elena rolled her eyes. "Damon..."

"What?" He snapped. "She was being all snippy and annoying about how I wasn't invited. You know I can't let Bon Bon dictate where I can and can't go, especially when it involves my girlfriend."

"Don't worry about him, Bonnie," Elena said, ignoring him. "_If_ he comes by, he'll be on his best behavior."

"As appealing as that sounds, I'll pass." Bonnie was sure Damon heard the sarcasm in her voice. "Maybe next time. I'll see you later."

"Okay." Elena wrapped her friend up in a tight hug while Damon stood behind them smirking. "Call me," Elena demanded as she released her.

"I will." Bonnie stepped past the eldest Salvatore brother. "Damon."

"Judgy."

And she was out the door.

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><p>Bonnie Bennett left the Mystic Grill with a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. Jeremy had not been there, although he'd told her that morning he would be working. She wanted to call him and ask questions, but she didn't want to be the pushy, suspicious, insecure girlfriend-type. She was sure there was a reasonable explanation to why he had told her that he was working when he wasn't, at least that was what she was telling herself.<p>

She was deep in her thoughts when she heard it. A cry of pain snapped her out of her reverie. Her brow furrowed as she followed the noise, past the Grill behind the building to the left of it. Her eyes widened at the sight of the young man lying against the back wall of the building, a thick piece of wood imbedded in his torso.

"Oh my God!" Bonnie flew to his side as he wrapped his hands around it to try and pull it out. "What happened to you?" He let out another cry of pain before pulling it free. Not sure what to do, Bonnie attempted to cover the wound with her hand.

"Don't worry about it," the man breathed. "I'm fine."

"There's no way you're fine!" Bonnie exclaimed. "I can take you to the hospital." She lifted her bloody hand to check the wound only to find there wasn't one. Before she could react, he grabbed her and was staring into her eyes.

"You never saw me. You're going to forget this ever happened." And with a _whoosh_, he was gone.

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><p><em>"<em>_You've reached Elena. Leave me a message."_

_"Hey, i__t's Jeremy. Leave a message."_

_"__This is Caroline! Leave me a-"_

Bonnie hung up the phone with a sigh of frustration. The day she really needed someone to talk to and her best friends, even her boyfriend, weren't answering their phones or replying to her texts. There was a new vampire in town, if he had in fact stayed in Mystic Falls after fleeing from her, and she wasn't exactly sure what she was supposed to do about this. As a witch, she thankfully couldn't be compelled, but she did feel compelled to at least tell her friends about her strange encounter. As she sat in her Prius, contemplating what her next move should be, her phone rang in her hand. Jeremy.

"What's up, Bonnie?"

"Hey, I've been trying to reach you," she said, trying not to sound too annoyed. The familiar sound of Matt and another of Jeremy's friends voices in the background hollering could be heard.

"I'm sorry, I'm playing video games with these guys and I couldn't hear my phone over their mouths," he replied. "Everything all-can you shut up for a second!- everything all right?"

Bonnie sighed. "Yeah, everything is fine," she said. "I stopped by the Grill to see you, but they said you weren't working today."

"Yeah, they told me when I got there they didn't need me today," Jeremy explained. "Jerks didn't even have the decency to call me before I went all the way over there."

Bonnie sighed. She didn't want to feel hurt that he'd decided to hang out with his friends yet again rather than be with her on his day off, but she was. "Well, you go back to your game. I'll just talk to you later."

"Okay. Come over later, all right?"

Sure." He was hanging up before she could get out a proper goodbye. She threw her phone down and started up her car. That had become very typical now-a-days.

Bonnie had been doing her best to lead a normal life lately, but having werewolves and vampires for friends made that very difficult. There always some kind of big bad to vanquish, and she was always the one who's life was at risk because everyone went to her to solve problems. Being a witch had it's burden, but being a friend to Elena Gilbert was twice the burden. Regardless, she loved the girl to pieces, and would always be there for her and Caroline, but she'd made it clear she wanted this summer to be a magic-free, problem-free, fun-filled one. That last requirement was yet to be fulfilled, but it was only the beginning of their last summer before college. Caroline was pining after an MIA Tyler, Elena was spending all her time getting it on with Damon, while Stefan was off somewhere in the world probably trying to get his mind off of the fact that the love of his life had left him for his brother.

Then there was Bonnie, trying to get in where she could fit in. This was her first summer in Mystic Falls in years and she was starting to remember why she always jetted off to spend it with family. This year she figured she would spend it home with Jeremy, since they would be seeing less of each other once she started college, but he was too busy spending it with his friends. Her father was off on another business trip, and she and her mother only had the occasional phone conversation. Needless to say, this first two weeks into the summer wasn't a promising start.

She went home, deciding against saying anything about the vampire she'd met. She'd probably never see him again, but she couldn't help but wonder who had attacked him. It was obviously someone who was aware of vampires, seeing as they'd tried to stake him, but it wasn't another vampire or they'd have known it has to be the heart to kill them. Another thing that wasn't lost on Bonnie, was his looks. Upon first discovering him, she was too panicked by the blood that she'd hadn't really noticed, but as he'd tried to compel her she couldn't help but notice the pretty hazel of his eyes. He looked to be about Damon's human age, maybe 25 or 26. His hair was such a dirty blonde it looked brown, he was slender and quite tall, at least 6'2. Bonnie didn't recognize him so she knew he wasn't from there. Mystic Falls was small, if she'd seen that face before she'd never had forgotten it. He hadn't tried to hurt her or feed on her, so maybe he was one of the good ones, like Caroline. Bonnie went to sleep that night figuring she would never find out.

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><p>Four days of being holed up in the house watching Netflix and mandatory make-out sessions with Jeremy later, Bonnie was ready to get out and see her girls. They agreed to meet at the Mystic Grill for some pool and a bite to eat. As usual, Bonnie was the first one there. She had a view of the bar from the table she sat at, and she gave Matt a wave as he was serving someone from behind it.<p>

She was playing on her phone as she waited, and took notice when a very tall man strode past her, moving so fast it felt like she was hit with a gust of wind. She could only see the back of his head as he sat but she was certain they'd met before. She fought with herself for a moment about whether or not to approach before she stood. Fuck it, if it was supernatural she needed to know about it. She put her brave face on and walked over to him as he ordered his drink.

"Who are you?" She asked, sternly.

He turned his head and was a little taken aback at how intensely the little lady's emerald eyes were boring into him. He was sure if she knew what he was, she'd be running and screaming, not asking questions.

"Who wants to know?" He replied, smugly in what sounded like an Australian accent.

"I do," she stated. "Who are you, and why are you here?"

"Can't a man just have a drink in peace." This was the first time he'd had an encounter like this. He looked at the pretty little firecracker again and his brow furrowed. "Do I know you?"

"I watched you pull a stake out of your stomach and you tried to compel me to forget about it," she replied matter-of-factly.

"Whoa, whoa!" He looked around in a panic to make sure they weren't in earshot of anyone. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Let's not play that game," Bonnie warned. "I know what you are, now tell me _who_ you are."

He sighed. "All right, fine. Can we talk somewhere else?"

"Let's go." Bonnie stalked away and he followed her, still wondering what the hell was going on. They stepped outside and she led him to the side of the Grille, where no ear or eyes were on them. She wasn't going to warn him against trying to kill her. It would be more fun if he tried something and she had him on his knees in three seconds flat.

"All right, now talk," she demanded.

"First of all, who the hell are you?" he shot back. "And why didn't my compulsion work? You on vervain or something?"

"I can't be compelled," Bonnie answered shortly. "Now talk."

"My name is Julius. I'm a vampire," he said, simply. "I don't know what else you want from me."

"Why are you in Mystic Falls?"

"I'm trying to find someone."

"Who?"

His brow furrowed. "Why should I tell you anything?" He questioned. "You're just some nosy high schooler who knows too much!"

Bonnie felt herself getting irritated. "Every new supernatural that has come to this town has caused nothing but trouble for me and the people I care about," she explained. "I have some undead friends of my own, and they do not take kindly to new friends. Get it? If you want me to keep your presence a secret, I'd start talking. Otherwise, I can cause a whole lot of trouble of my own."

Julius couldn't believe his ears. "Wow, you have a lot of mouth on you," he concluded. "Has anyone ever told you it's unwise to threaten a vampire?"

"It's unwise to belittle a Bennett."

Julius sighed. He didn't know of what importance being a Bennett was, but he wanted more than anything for this moment to be over. "Her name is Valerie," he began. "She's been missing, and I need to find her. She's important."

"Is she a vampire?"

"She's the one who...made me who I am."

"Why is she important?"

"Look, lady, I've already told you enough," he snapped. "You know who I am, you know why I'm here. I would appreciate it if you just stayed out of my way. Once I find her, I'm gone forever. I have no plans to stick around in this hick town. Why don't we talk about you for a second? Who are you? Why can't you be compelled?"

Bonnie narrowed her eyes and stepped toward him. Next thing he knew his brain was on fire. He dropped to his knees, screaming in pain and holding his head. "Only thing you need to know about me is that I don't take shit from vampires," she told him, keeping the excruciating hold on his brain. "If you hurt any humans or cause any trouble while you're here, I will not hesitate to take you out." She released the hold on his brain and turned and walked away with a confident strut. "And I'm not a high schooler. College student. Jerk." And she left him there on the cold ground, stunned into silence.

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><p><strong>AN: If you need a perfect mental image of Julius, picture Adam Senn with an Australian accent. Let me know what you think.**

**Thanks for reading!**


	2. Left Alone

**A/N: This chapter is named after the song Left Alone by Fiona Apple**

Disclaimer: I own nothing but Julius and my words.

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><p><strong>2 - Left Alone<strong>

Bonnie stood stock still, contemplating her next move. Cookies 'n' Cream or Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough? After a moment of deliberation, she sighed and grabbed the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. Who was she kidding? She always got the same thing. There was no reason to switch up now. As she approached the cashier to check out, she felt her phone vibrating. She didn't even make a move to answer it. She knew it was one out of three people, none of whom she felt like speaking to at the moment. The other night both Elena and Caroline had bailed on her at the last minute and she hadn't picked up their calls or replied to any of their texts, pleading for forgiveness, since. She was taking a breather from Jeremy as well. With her dad out of town on yet another business trip, she'd spent the last couple days alone.

She walked out of the grocery store, thinking about what movie she should watch while she gorged on the entire quart of ice cream. She reached the Prius, dug into her pocket and sucked her teeth in annoyance when she dropped her keys. Cursing to herself, she dropped down and fished them out from beneath the car. When she stood back up, she shrieked at the unexpected sight of a man reflected in the window, standing so close behind her he was practically breathing down her neck.

"So you're a witch?" The question was casual as Bonnie dropped her keys again.

"Fuck!" Bonnie shouted, her face twisted in anger. "You scared the shit out of me!"

Julius wore a smug smile that she wanted to smack off his face. "Really? I thought you were fearless."

"What, are you stalking me or something?" She bent down to pick up her keys but they were swiped from the ground before she could even touch them. Julius stood in his place, his movement almost too fast to detect, looking even more smug.

"Well, I was going to hold a grudge after you set my brain on fire for no apparent reason but I decided I wanted to have another conversation with you," he said. "A nice, civil conversation, unlike our last meeting."

"I set your brain on fire to make a point," Bonnie said through gritted teeth. "I don't want anything to do with you. I thought I made it clear I wanted you gone. Mystic Falls doesn't need another vampire."

"That's kind of racist, Bonnie."

"You're not funny. Give me my keys," she huffed. "And how the hell do you know my name?"

"Small town," he replied, with a shrug. "Not that many Bennetts. You weren't all that hard to find." He held up her keys. "All I want is to sit down and have a conversation with you. I'll gladly give these back if you agree." Bonnie refused to feed into his games. In an instant, he felt the explosion inside his head. He cried out and brought his palms to his temple, dropping her keys in the process. He fell back against the car behind him, and his cries of pain were drawing stares across the parking lot. Bonnie quickly grabbed her keys, unlocked the car door, and hopped in. She stopped the aneurysm she was giving him, as to not draw anymore attention their way. He was grabbing the car door before she could slam it shut.

"Dammit, I wish you wouldn't fucking do that!" He hissed angrily.

"Wiped that infuriating smirk off your face," Bonnie gloated. "Get away from my car. Now."

"Please, Bonnie, I just need your help."

She rolled her eyes. "Of course! There's never a vampire that doesn't need my help!"

"If you keep shouting vampire people are going to think you're crazy."

Bonnie snorted. "You really are new to Mystic Falls." She quickly grew serious again, eyes narrowed at him. "I am **not** going to help you. Leave me alone, Julius. Forever." Crestfallen, Julius released his hold on the door.

"Please..." His sentence went unfinished as Bonnie slammed the door shut and started up her car. She didn't look in his direction as she sped out of the parking lot. As she awaited the opportunity to merge onto the street, she looked in her rearview mirror. He was still standing in the same spot, looking at her. He continued to stand there, watching as she drove away, and she couldn't help but feel like she may have just made a mistake.

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><p>Elena entered the Gilbert home, Damon trailing behind her. It had been a few days since she'd stepped foot in the house, but she figured it was a good idea to stop by and check on her brother. She walked into the living-room to find Jeremy sprawled across the couch, game controller in hand.<p>

"Of course..." Damon rolled his eyes at the sight of him.

"What are you doing here?" Jeremy questioned.

"I live here," Elena responded in an "duh" tone.

"Are you sure?" Jeremy asked, sitting up. "You're barely ever here anymore." He shot Damon a look.

Damon shrugged his shoulders. "What can I say? I'm a lot more fun to hang with, Gilbert. Shouldn't you be at work, or chasing behind Bonnie, or doing something. Anything other than this. Again."

"Have you seen Bonnie?" Elena asked, curiously.

"No, not for a couple days," Jeremy revealed. "I texted her but she didn't reply."

"You didn't go see her?" Elena asked, incredulously.

"Of course he didn't," Damon intervened. "That would require him getting up and doing something."

"Last time I spoke to her it was obvious she wanted some space," Jeremy informed them. "I thought I'd let her have it for now."

"Since when has she ever wanted space from you?" Elena asked. Jeremy cast his eyes down and nodded.

"I'll check on her tonight," he promised.

Elena looked to Damon. "I'm going to go grab some stuff. I'll be back down in a minute." Damon nodded and she flitted off to the stairs.

"Move over, Gilbert," Damon demanded, grabbing the second controller and sitting. "I am going to destroy you."

Once Elena was in her room she pulled out her iPhone and hit one of the numbers in her most recent calls. Caroline picked up on the first ring. "I was just about to call you," she revealed. The usual cheer in her voice was absent.

"Have you talked to Bonnie?" Elena questioned.

"No, that's what I was going to call you about," Caroline said. "I can't believe she's still not talking to us."

"Or Jeremy," Elena told her. "I think we should go see her."

"Yes, we need to run damage control," Caroline agreed. "I also have something I want to ask her about."

"What?"

"I talked to Matt and he said he saw her at the Grill that night we were supposed to meet her," Caroline explained. "He said he saw her talking to some guy at the bar. He didn't recognize him. He said she left with him."

"That doesn't sound like Bonnie."

"I think something is going on with her," the blonde said worriedly. "We need to go check on her."

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><p>Bonnie's heart jumped at the sound of knocking at the front door. She had been jumpy ever since coming back home. She got up from the couch and approached the door slowly. She was sure she'd made an enemy of yet another vampire, and he'd made it clear that he could find her. There was a 99% chance he already knew where she lived, and if he had been watching her he would know she'd been alone. She would never invite him in, but she was still uneasy with the thought of someone stalking around her home, waiting for the opportunity to rip her throat out.<p>

She peered through the peephole and relaxed at the sight of Elena and Caroline. Not her two favorite people right now, but at least they didn't mean her any physical harm. She opened the door, and both girls beamed at her.

"What are you guys doing here?" She asked, not at all the reaction they were used to from her.

"We came to see our best friend!" Caroline exclaimed. "And we brought your favorite snacks."

"We've got chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream," Elena added with a smile.

"I already have some, thanks."

"We also brought movies," Elena said. "You never did reschedule that movie night you cancelled."

"What better time than now for girls night," Caroline said. "Now, come on, let us in."

"I don't know if I'm really in the mood..."

"Bonnie, we miss you," Elena said, pleading with her chocolate brown eyes.

"And we are so sorry for standing you up the other night," Caroline apologized. "We promise it won't happen again." They stood there, lips poked out, giving her the puppy dog eyes. Bonnie sighed and stepped aside.

"As if I could stay mad at you guys," she said with an eye roll. Caroline squealed and they hustled inside. No formal invitation was needed. The girls had been in and out the Bennett house plenty since becoming vampires. Bonnie took a quick look outside and seeing no one shut the door. Maybe Julius had gotten the message. Maybe she would never see him again.

A short while later, the girls were in the kitchen, laughing and catching up as they put together their snacks for the movie. "I still can't believe this is our last summer before college," Caroline was saying. "We've waited for this moment for years. Pretty soon it'll be college papers, parties..."

"College boys," Elena added with a giggle.

"If we were smart we would be going single," Caroline joked.

"Either way I feel single," Bonnie said. The laughter ceased.

"Is everything okay with you and Jeremy?" Caroline asked.

"It just doesn't feel the same with us," Bonnie admitted.

Elena sighed and reached out to put a comforting arm on Bonnie's shoulder. "I know Jer hasn't been boyfriend of the year lately, but he loves you."

"Yeah, I'm sure you guys will work it out," Caroline cosigned. "Every relationship has their rough patch. It's so hard for me with Tyler being away but I still love him, and I know when he comes back we'll be okay. Which better be sooner than later!" Bonnie and Elena both chuckled.

"Damon and I had a rough couple of years before I fell for him," Elena said. "There was even times I felt I hated him. Now, I could never imagine feeling that way toward him."

"Have you spoken to Stefan at all?" Bonnie questioned. Elena shook her head.

"I've been tempted to call him," Elena admitted. "Just check up on him, make sure he's okay. I never meant to hurt him. Damon is sure he'll be back in town soon enough, and everything will be fine." Bonnie wasn't going to say it out loud, but she was sure Damon was just saying that for Elena's benefit. She had broken Stefan's heart when she chose Damon, and he left because he couldn't bear to be around it. It would most likely be longer than awhile before he came back to Mystic Falls. if he ever did.

"Speaking of boys," Caroline segued the conversation. "Matt said he saw you at the bar the other day."

Bonnie nodded. "Yeah, I always see him there, Care. He works there."

"I know, Bonnie, it's just that..." Caroline looked to Elena. "He said he saw you talking to some guy and that you left with him." Bonnie looked from Caroline to Elena, both were staring at her with the utmost curiosity. She couldn't help but feel irritated at Matt reporting her every move to her friends.

"I ran into an old friend," she said with a shrug, trying to sound casual. "We stepped outside for a minute to talk. What's the big deal?"

"Who was he?" Elena asked.

"Just some guy I used to know." The annoyance was creeping into Bonnie's voice.

"Matt said he didn't recognize him," Caroline pushed.

"Maybe Matt hasn't met every single person to ever step foot in Mystic Falls!" Bonnie snapped, standing up. "What's with the third degree? I had a conversation with someone, that is all." She grabbed the DVDs Caroline had brought off the counter. "You guys can grill each other. I'm going to set up the movie." She stalked out of the room.

"She's being really sensitive about the subject," Caroline pointed out to Elena once Bonnie was out of earshot. "Do you think she's hiding something?"

"Why would she feel the need to do that?" Elena wondered. "She never hides anything from us."

Caroline sighed. "Maybe we're reading too much into this and she really did just run into someone she knew."

Elena nodded uncertainly. "You're right. Let's just drop it for now."

"Ready to go," Bonnie announced, walking back into the kitchen. "First up is Bridesmaids, then Pitch Perfect."

"Perfect," Elena said with a smile, picking up the bowl of popcorn. "Let's go." She headed off to the living-room.

"Right behind you," Caroline called after her but she didn't budge. Bonnie went to the freezer and fished out the ice-cream. She heard the faucet turn on behind her, and when she turned around Caroline was directly behind her. Bonnie yelped and nearly dropped the ice-cream.

"Shit, I wish people would stop doing that," Bonnie hissed.

"Bonnie, who was he?" Caroline questioned, concern etched on her face.

"Care, I already told you."

"You know you can tell me the truth," the blonde persisted. "Are you seeing another guy."

"Of course not!" Bonnie cried. "I would never do that to Jeremy."

"Matt said you never came back."

"By the time we were done talking you and Elena had already texted me that you weren't coming," Bonnie explained.

"What's his name? How do you know him?"

"His name is Adam. He used to work for my father," Bonnie quickly lied. "Why are we even still talking about this? Is this your way of detracting from the fact that you and Elena have been sucky friends lately?!"

"What's going on?"

Neither Bonnie nor Caroline had heard Elena enter. "I'm tired, that's what." Bonnie went over to the sink and turned off the faucet. "What was the point of this, anyway? We all know what's going to happen. At some point Damon is going to text Elena and she's going to leave early. Caroline, you probably have some function you've been helping to plan that you have to be up early for so you're going to leave right after her. I'll text Jeremy and he'll tell me he's busy or too tired to come over, if he even replies before tomorrow afternoon, and I'll be in bed by 10. By myself. That's how it always ends! You guys didn't come over to spend time with me, you came over here to dig up some dirt."

"Bonnie, that's not true-" Elena began.

"Of course it's not Elena," Bonnie snapped, sarcastically. "Because you're so kind and thoughtful and never mean to hurt anyone!"

"Bonnie!" There was shock in Caroline's voice. Bonnie had never went off on them like this.

"I don't want to hear it Caroline," Bonnie said. "I'm going to bed. You two can see yourselves out." She stormed past Elena out the kitchen. Caroline was shaken by the sound of her bedroom door slamming. It sounded like she was slamming the door on their friendship.


	3. Black Door

**A/N: I'm thinking I may have to change the rating on this fic to M pretty soon, just to forewarn you guys. ****Don't worry, we will learn more about Julius and his backstory as this fic goes on. Hope you enjoy!**

**This chapter is named after the song Black Door by The Black Keys**

Disclaimer: I own nothing but Julius and my words.

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><p><strong>3 - Black Door<strong>

It was almost 10:00 at night and Matt Donovan was ready to go home. It had been a busy shift at the Grill, and he had been scheduled to leave at 6, but he needed the overtime. His boss had just given him one last task to do before clocking out, but he found himself distracted when someone slightly familiar walked through the door. The guy standing at atleast 6'2, had quite a presence and drew stares as he settled down at one of the tables. Tommy, another waiter, started to approach him but Matt intercepted him.

"I got this, Tommy," he told him and headed to the table.

Julius' hazel eyes peered up at Matt innocently as he hovered over his table. "What can I get for you?" Matt questioned without a smile.

"I'll just have a gin and tonic," Julius replied.

"Not hungry today?" Matt asked.

"Already ate," Julius said simply.

Matt hesitated for a moment, debating whether or not to question him further, then decided to get his drink first and headed off. Julius raised his eyebrows at the boy's odd behavior, but it was quickly forgotten about as his phone vibrated in his jacket pocket. He took it out and he frowned at the text message he'd received.

_Leave Virginia or there will be dire consequences._

Instead of replying, he tucked his phone back in his pocket, and stroked his facial hair, deep in thought. Matt reappeared, breaking him out of his thoughts when he loudly placed his drink on the table in front of him.

"Hey, didn't I see you in here the other night talking to Bonnie?" Matt questioned.

Julius looked at him uncertainly. "Yeah," he said. "You know her?"

"Yeah, she's a friend of mine," he replied. "I'm also friends with her boyfriend." Matt said the last word very pointedly.

Julius nodded his head. "Cool. Thanks for the drink." He grabbed his gin and started to drink in a way that signaled he was done with the conversation but Matt didn't budge.

"How do you know her?"

Julius narrowed his eyes at him. "I don't know her all that well, she's just an acquaintance."

"Where did you guys go when you left?"

Julius huffed and put his drink down. "What is it with this place?" He complained. "Every time I come in here for a simple drink it's like twenty questions! Are you sure you're just her friend, mate, because you're sounding like a jealous boyfriend yourself?"

"I'm looking out for her and Jeremy," Matt argued. "I just want to make sure some foreign creep isn't trying to move in on their relationship."

"Jeez, that's rude." Julius took another sip. "You treat all the patrons this way? Or do you just have something against sexy Australians? Scared I might take all your girls?" Matt fought the urge to start cursing at him. He wasn't in a position to lose his job over some random jerk with a douchey accent and an infuriating smirk. "You have nothing to worry about, busboy. Bonnie doesn't even like me."

"Well, she's always been a smart girl," Matt quipped.

Julius grew serious. "If _you_ were smart you would walk away right now."

Matt gave a fake half smile. "Enjoy your drink." He turned on his heel and stalked away, muttering, "Asshole", under his breath. Julius heard him loud and clear

* * *

><p>Bonnie's entire body was stiff as Jeremy lay in between her legs, kissing on her neck. He grew increasingly frustrated as she remained unresponsive to his sexual advances. He had been very patient with her not being ready to actually have sex throughout their relationship, but they'd done just about everything else, and he was in the mood for some kind of action.<p>

"You can at least pretend like you're into this," Jeremy complained, glaring down into Bonnie's emerald eyes.

She sighed. "I'm sorry, I am into it." She wrapped her arms around his neck and brought his lips to hers. She was kissing him half-heartedly until she felt his hand sneaking down her shorts, then she felt the urgent need to get away. She pulled her mouth from his and pushed against his broad shoulders.

"What's the problem?" He huffed.

"I'm sorry, Jer, but I have to get up," she said. "I'm just not in the mood." He exhaled loudly and flopped back onto the bed. She quickly got up and headed toward the bedroom door.

"What the hell is your problem, Bonnie!" He hurled angrily at her back. "You've been acting cold and distant for days but you keep telling me nothing is wrong! Obviously something is wrong and you need to let me know before I stop caring."

Bonnie turned to look at him incredulously. "_Before _you stop caring?" She reiterated. "Jeremy, you've stopped caring about me and our relationship awhile ago."

"That's not true!"

"Everything comes before me," she pointed out. "Your friends, your job, your video games. You make time for me when you want to fool around. You've been a half-ass boyfriend, and today I'm not in the mood for it."

"I love you, Bonnie," he stated, firmly. He got up from the bed and approached her. "I have never loved any girl the way I love you. I'm sorry if you feel I've been neglectful. It's just that for months after we got together I didn't see any of my friends. It was all about you. This summer I wanted to make room for other things."

"My last summer before college," Bonnie said, pointedly. "Perfect timing"

"You're right, I'm an idiot," Jeremy agreed. "Things will be different from now on. Okay, baby." Bonnie nodded uncertainly and her eyes were downcast. Jeremy lifted her chin with his finger, forcing her to look at him, and gently kissed her. Before he could get into it, Bonnie pulled away. Jeremy huffed. "You know what? I'm just going to go. You complain about me not being around enough but when I am around you're pushing me away. I'll give you some time to figure out what you really want."

"Jeremy..." Bonnie's plea went unfinished as he pushed past her and stormed out. She wouldn't chase after him. He was right, she needed to figure out some things.

Jeremy was out of the house and jumping into his truck in under a minute. He hadn't been this tempted to hit up his old supplier for some weed in a while, but as he drove the need to get high increased. The feeling was intensified when his engine started conking out on him. He quickly pulled over to the side of the road and hopped out. When he pulled up the hood of his car, it appeared as if it had been tampered with. Regardless, he wasn't getting home this way. Cursing loudly, he kicked the truck. This was not his day.

He already knew he didn't want to call Bonnie for help. She would probably just love it if he had to come crawling back five minutes after their fight. He knew Matt was working a shift at the grill, and Elena would probably just go to Damon. He thought it best to just cut out the middle man and call Damon himself. He continued studying the engine as he dialed. A car crept up beside him but he paid it no mind, even when the driver called out to him.

"Need help?"

"I'm good!" Jeremy threw back without a glance in the guy's direction.

"Are you sure?" The accented voice pressed. "I can help you out, it's no problem."

Jeremy finally looked up. "I said I'm-" He stopped mid-sentence and his mouth dropped open as he took in the sight before him. He hit the end button on his cell before the call even went through. "Whoa! Nice ride, man!"

The guy gave off a cocky grin. He was sitting pretty in his all black Mercedes Benz C350 and knew it. "Thanks. She's my baby. What's the problem here?"

"I'm not sure," Jeremy said. "She was riding fine this morning, but now..."

The guy nodded and pulled over, parking in front of Jeremy's car. He walked over and examined the engine. Jeremy listened intently as he broke down exactly what was wrong with his truck. He fished the tools necessary to fix the problem out of his own trunk. Their conversation soon turned from cars to common interests. By the end of it, Jeremy was feeling like he may have found a new friend.

* * *

><p>Damon pulled up in front of the Bennett house, still in disbelief that he'd been pushed to this point. He was prepared for her guaranteed attitude and he had one of his own as he knocked loudly on her front door. He was impatient and knocking again before she had the chance to answer the door after the first time. Soon, she was whipping it open and glaring out at him.<p>

"What the hell, Damon!" She exclaimed.

"Why are you being such a bitch to Elena?"

"Excuse me?"

"For a week all I've heard is how you yelled at her and you won't talk to her and she didn't mean anything by it and she just wants her friend back," Damon went on in a mocking tone. "This ridiculous catty feud you've got going on with my girl and Blondie has got to end, because if I have to hear your name one more time in my household I'm going to rip my own ears off!"

"That's not really my problem, Damon."

"It is and we're going to fix it," he declared. "Let's go."

Bonnie raised her eyebrow. "What?"

"I'm bringing you to Elena's and you guys are going to make up."

"I don't think so."

"I don't have time for this, Bonnie!"

"Then stay out of it!"

Damon was growing increasingly frustrated. "I would if Elena didn't keep crying to me about this shit!" He exclaimed. "I would like nothing more than to not be standing here talking to you! This stupid girl drama you guys are having is literally making me itch. So, either you come willingly and quietly, or you come kicking and screaming. Either way, you're coming."

Bonnie snorted. "As if you can make me do anything," she laughed. "You haven't been invited in here. You can't even get to me."

"I can make your life a living hell, Bonnie. Let's. Go."

Bonnie crossed her arms, unbudging. Damon sneered at her, wishing he could grab her by the neck and drag her out. "You know, if you just asked somebody to do something nicely for once you might get what you want," she advised.

Damon had to force his next words out of his mouth. "Will you _please_ come out here before I start ripping this house apart." Bonnie sucked her teeth.

"You are impossible," she said before stepping out onto the porch. "You are so lucky that I've already had it in my mind to talk to her." Damon gave a forced smile.

"Thank you, Bonnie."

* * *

><p>"Get out." Damon's tone was demanding as he pulled to a stop in front of the Gilbert house.<p>

"Was that necessary?" Bonnie snapped. "I'm obviously going to get out." She rolled her eyes as she opened the door and climbed out of the car. She looked back at Damon who wasn't making a move. "You're not coming in?"

"No, I have things to do."

"But you were my ride over here!"

"Exactly. Bye Bye, Bon Bon." He was off before she could get another word in. She shook her head as she walked up the porch and knocked. She wasn't exactly happy about the impromptu sleepover, but she was kind of anxious to see her friend. Like it or not, she missed her.

Elena opened the door and a look of surprise took over her face. "Bonnie!" She threw her arms around the little witch. "I'm so glad to see you."

"Me too, Elena," Bonnie said, reciprocating the hug. "Can we talk?"

"Of course, come in." Elena stepped aside so she could enter. The girls went into the kitchen where Elena opened the fridge. "Want anything to drink?"

Bonnie shook her head. "I'm good," she replied. It was clear to Elena that Bonnie's excitement at being there didn't match hers. She pulled a drink out for herself then turned to Bonnie with concerned eyes. "I am so sorry for the other night, Bonnie. Caroline and I were being nosy and way too pushy and it wasn't our place to question you like that."

Bonnie nodded. "It's okay," she said. "I know you guys didn't mean any harm. I shouldn't have yelled at you. It was unfair."

"I know you didn't mean it."

"I'm not sorry for what I said, Elena," Bonnie clarified. "I'm sorry for the way I said it." Elena's brow furrowed at this statement but they both were quickly distracted by the sound of shouting coming from the living-room.

Elena rolled her eyes. "Jeremy and his new friend," she explained. "He's already sucked him into Call of Duty. They've been playing for like an hour."

"Jeremy's got a new friend?"

"Yes, and he's insanely hot."

Curiosity getting the best of her, Bonnie headed toward the living-room, Elena trailing behind her. She could see the back of their heads, controllers in hand, tapping away vehemently as Jeremy trash talked. Bonnie wasn't sure if Jeremy was still mad at her, but it would be rude to stay in his house and not even speak to him. She rounded the couch and he was smiling when he spotted her.

"Oh, hey Bonnie," he said brightly. "What are you doing here?"

"Visiting Elena," she replied. Jeremy moved back and she got a good look at his buddy. Bonnie's heart dropped into her stomach.

"This is Julius," Jeremy said, not taking his eyes from the screen. "Julius, that's my girlfriend, Bonnie." Julius grinned at Bonnie, his hazel eyes twinkling with mischief.

"What the hell are you doing here?" The words were out of Bonnie's mouth before she could stop herself. Everybody stopped and looked at her. Bonnie struggled to come up with a sensible thing to say. "S-sorry...that was rude. I...how do you guys know each other?"

"My car broke down when I left your house earlier." Jeremy was still looking at her with a raised eyebrow. "He stopped and helped me out."

"Turns out your boyfriend is a real cool guy," Julius added, holding Bonnie's intense stare. Jeremy and Elena looked between the two of them curiously.

"Do you guys know each other?" Jeremy questioned. Julius just studied Bonnie, waiting for her to answer.

She nodded. "We've met," she said, simply.

"It's a small town," Julius said with a shrug. "Once you start meeting people here, you're bound to run into them again." Bonnie was starting to feel the heat and had to make a quick exit. She whispered to Elena that she would be back, then flew out of the room. She rushed up the stairs and locked herself in the bathroom. She was pissed at Damon all over again for leaving her stranded here. She had never thought that if she ran into Julius again it would be here of all places.

She was getting more upset as she thought about it. This complete stranger had dropped into her life out of nowhere and now it seemed impossible to shake him. She had it in her right mind to just go downstairs and take him out and worry later about the questions that would come. Either way, she knew she couldn't hole up in Elena's bathroom forever and would have to face the music sooner or later. She took a deep breath then opened the bathroom door to find herself face-to-face with Julius.

"About time," he quipped in a smooth voice. "I thought you might have fallen in."

Bonnie stepped out of the bathroom, shooting daggers at him with her eyes. "I am sick and tired of you," she hissed at him through gritted teeth. "I told you I wanted you to leave."

"Why?" He asked. "Why must I leave? Who am I hurting?"

"I've told you this before, vampires cause nothing but trouble."

"I haven't caused any trouble since I've been here."

"You're causing trouble for me right now," Bonnie argued. "What do you want with Jeremy?"

"I just helped out a young man in need," he said, innocently. "Turned out he's your man. Small world."

"And you had nothing to do with his car breaking down?" Bonnie asked in an accusatory manner.

Julius smirked. "If I did, it wasn't anything that wasn't easily fixable," he half-admitted.

"I will not have you interfering with my life," she told him, glaring up at him. "This has gone on long enough. I have the power to end you, don't make me use it."

"Everything all right?"

Bonnie and Julius turned to see Elena at the top of the stairs, looking at them with concern. Bonnie quickly stepped away from him, now realizing how close they had been standing to each other.

"Yeah, I was just looking for the bathroom," Julius replied, casually. He stepped into the bathroom and smiled out at Elena. "I found it." He closed the door. He obviously didn't need to use the bathroom, as vampires didn't have that ability, and it seemed neither he knew or Elena had figured out they were of the same kind. Bonnie started heading toward the stairs.

"Bonnie," Elena's voice stopped her. She looked to the ceiling, knowing what was coming, before turning to her. "How do you know him?"

Bonnie shrugged. "I just do."

"Is that the guy from Mystic Grill?" She asked. Bonnie knew she would have to tell the truth. Matt had already seen Julius, and he could confirm that Bonnie was a liar if Elena asked him about it.

"Yes," Bonnie admitted. "I really don't know him all that well, that night was the only real conversation we've ever had. It's nothing, Elena."

"I thought you said you knew him through your dad and that his name was Adam," Elena pointed out.

"I had confused him with another guy that worked for my dad. I've met a lot of his employees," Bonnie said with a shrug. Elena shot her a look of disbelief. "Elena, you're reaching again. I'm telling you the truth, now drop it." She turned on her heel and headed down the stairs. Elena would drop the subject for now, but she just couldn't get it out of her head that neither Bonnie nor Julius were being all the way honest.

When Julius went back into the living-room, Elena, Jeremy, and Bonnie were on the couch watching TV. Bonnie was snuggled up against Jeremy who had his arm wrapped around her. It seemed they had put aside their differences for the time being. Julius laughed inside knowing that when he left Jeremy would definitely question her about how they knew each other, and she would have to stick with that horrible lie he'd heard her tell Elena in the upstairs hallway.

"Well, I should get going," he announced.

"You don't have to," Jeremy told him. Bonnie wanted to kick him. She wanted nothing more than for Julius to be away. "We were just about to watch a movie."

"Thanks but I've got somewhere to be," he responded. "But hey, you've got my number. Call me any time for a game."

"For sure." Jeremy reached out and shook his hand then turned his attention back to the TV.

"Goodbye Bonnie," Julius said, sweetly.

"Bye." Her response was short and not so sweet

He smiled and turned his attention to Elena. "It was very nice meeting you, Elena," he told her, holding out his hand. Elena stood up then shook it.

"I'll walk you out since your host obviously isn't going to do it," Elena said, pointedly. Jeremy gave a thumbs up and Elena and Julius both laughed before heading out.

"Your brother seems like a good guy," Julius said as he opened the door and stepped out into the cool night air. "He obviously takes after his lovely older sister." Elena smiled.

"Thank you, Julius," she said. "You're very charming, you know. We need more guys like you in Mystic Falls."

Julius chuckled. "I don't think I'll be sticking around for much longer," he revealed. "I haven't felt too welcome until tonight."

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that," Elena stepped out onto the porch with him, closing the front door behind her. "Did something happen with you and Bonnie? No offense but she doesn't seem to like you very much."

Julius shrugged. "I'm sure if she gets to know me she'll feel differently," he said.

"I don't know. Bonnie, can be very stubborn when she wants," Elena said. "She's gotten to know my boyfriend pretty well over the years and she still can't stand the sight of him."

"I have an idea that might make her more receptive to me," Julius stated. He placed his hand on Elena's shoulders and looked deep into her eyes. "Believe whatever she tells you. Keep telling her you think I'm a good guy." He stepped away and flashed his paper-white smile. "Boyfriend, huh? That's too bad." He turned and waltzed over to his Mercedes. Elena watched him as he drove away.

* * *

><p>"I'm telling you, it was weird!" Elena was pacing across Damon's room, as said vampire lounged on his spectacularly large bed. "I was getting this vibe from him when we talked, and I caught him and Bonnie having this really intense conversation. Her story on how she knows him makes no sense. And I think he might have tried to compel me to believe her!" This snapped Damon to attention.<p>

"What?" He sat up. "You think this guy's a vampire?"

"I don't know, maybe," she said. "Or maybe he just has this intense way of looking at people when he talks to them."

"Well, did you hear if he had a heartbeat?" Damon questioned.

"I didn't think to listen for one."

"Could you smell him? Did he have a human scent?"

"I smelled his cologne."

Damon exhaled. "God, you are such a rookie."

"Well, I'm sorry, Damon!" Elena exclaimed. "I'm sorry I'm not yet an expert at detecting other vampires. Maybe I'm just being paranoid, with all our past experiences."

"I'm sure Bonnie would know if he was," Damon said. "She would definitely tell us if there was another vampire around. Wouldn't she?"

Elena shrugged. "She's been very secretive lately, but I would like to think she wouldn't keep information like that from us."

"I'm going to find out for sure," Damon declared. Elena nodded and sat on the bed beside him.

"Just try to keep it cool. No violence, okay?"

"I'll do my best," Damon promised.

* * *

><p>Julius settled onto the park bench and looked around. The park was empty as it was nighttime. Julius had at first thought it odd when Jeremy had texted him asking to meet there, but decided to go along with it. Getting closer to Jeremy meant getting closer to Bonnie which meant getting closer to finding Valerie. Despite the many life threats he'd received from the witch herself and elsewhere, he was on a mission with no plans to give it up.<p>

As he waited he was approached by the busboy from the Mystic Grill. "Busboy!" He exclaimed. "What are you doing out here?"

"It's Matt," he said in a gruff voice. "Jeremy told me to meet him here. Since you're here too, I think we should have a man-to-man discussion."

Julius stood up to face him. "All right, discuss."

"You don't intimidate me," Matt told him bravely, looking him dead in the eye. "Let's make that clear. But there was no reason for me to approach you the way I did the other day, so I apologize for that. I should've gotten to know you before making the assumption that you were scum. I'm sorry." Julius was surprised by this. He looked the boy up and down, trying to decipher if he was being genuine, and Matt held his gaze. Julius had no desire to be his friend, but decided to humor him.

"Apology accepted."

"Cool." Matt held out his hand.

"Guess you're not so bad, Ma-AAH!" Julius had taken his hand then snatched it back with a cry of pain. As he looked at the sizzling wound on his palm Matt was pulling a wooden stake from his back pocket. When he looked up again Matt was running at him full speed.

Julius reacted fast, grabbing his arms before he could drive the stake through his heart and pushing him off. His fangs burst from his gums and his eyes were blood red, the veins surrounding them pulsing as his vampiric instinct took over. Matt looked at him with wide eyes.

"You just fucked up, Busboy." Julius sped at him and sank his teeth into his neck. Matt let out a scream as Julius sucked his blood with a vengeance. Matt couldn't fight the much stronger being off, but it was only a few seconds before Julius was staggering back, coughing up Matt's blood. He held his burning throat as the blood came up in chunks.

"Vervain," he managed to choke out as the poison ran rampant through his undead body.

"Damon," Matt said simply.

Before Julius could question what Matt was talking about, there was a pair of hands on his head, that in one quick motion, snapped his neck. Damon stood silently behind Julius and watched as his body crumpled to the ground. Matt held his bleeding neck and glared down at the vampire.

"Looks like you're the one that fucked up, asshole," he spat down at him.

"Let's get him in the car," Damon instructed, "He and I need to have a little chat."


	4. Beggin' For Thread

**A/N: I've officially changed the rating of this story to M.**

**Song: Beggin' For Thread by BANKS**

Disclaimer: I don't own anything but Julius and my words. No copyright infringement intended. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

><p><strong>4 - Beggin' For Thread<strong>

_Six Years Earlier..._

_Jonathan couldn't remember if he'd ever been happier. He gazed upon the young lady before him with pure love in his eyes. April threw her head back and her laughter rang out into the night air. The sound was like music to Jonathan's ear. He loved to make her smile. She slightly leaned over the bridge and looked out onto the dark water, but Jonathan couldn't tear his eyes from her long enough to appreciate the beauty of their surroundings. There was no doubt in his mind now. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. The ring was tucked safely in his inside jacket pocket, and the whole night had been going according to plan. He was going to top it off with the perfect marriage proposal._

_He placed his hand on the small of her back and stepped closer to her. "April..." He was interrupted by the ringing of her cell phone. She pulled it out of her purse and looked at the ID._

_"__It's my mother," she reported before picking it up. "Hey Mom!...No, I'm still out with Jon..." She looked to Jonathan. "Just give me a second."_

_"__No problem babe," he said and she wandered off a little ways down the bridge as her mother yapped her ear off as usual._

_"__She's a very pretty girl." The voice came from behind Jonathan._ _He turned and was taken aback by the woman before him. She was tall and strikingly beautiful. Her jet black hair, long and thick, cascaded down her back and over her shoulders. The slight wind was picking it up, causing it to frame her face in a flattering way. Her creamy skin was perfect and unblemished, and she was looking at Jonathan with the most piercing gray eyes he'd ever seen, which were brought out nicely by her all black attire._

_"__Thank you. She is." _

_She approached Jonathan slowly and to his surprise she softly placed her hand on the side of his face. She gazed into his eyes as she spoke. "You are absolutely beautiful," she told him. "You are not meant to be with her."_

_"__Excuse -"_

_"__You will not ask her to marry you." The woman's eyes dilated as she said this to him, and Jonathan no longer had a choice in the matter, "What's your name?"_

_"__Jonathan," he answered obediently._

_She shook her head. "No," she said. "You are not meant for this life, You will soon be mine, and you will leave Jonathan behind forever. Julius...you will be Julius. My Julius." She took her hand down and stepped away. She could see out of her periphery, April turning and heading their way._

_I will come for you," she promised. And with a blink of an eye, she was gone._

* * *

><p>Julius awoke with a cold dose of reality, tied to a chair, in an unfamiliar setting. He swore loudly as he tried to move but realized he was completely restrained. Damon stood before the fireplace, a drink in his hand, with his back to him.<p>

"Finally," he said before turning to face him. "I was beginning to think I would have to start the party without you."

"Who the fuck are you?!" Julius cried.

"A friend of Bonnie's," Damon replied.

"She told you to do this?" Julius asked, angrily.

"Hey, you're the one tied to the chair which means I ask the questions!" Damon scolded. "Who are you, and why are you in Mystic Falls?"

"What does it matter to you?"

"Do yourself a favor and don't answer my question with a question," Damon warned. "Again, who are you and why are you here?" This time Julius answered him with an evil glare and stone cold silence. Damon sighed. "Obviously, you want to do this the fun way." He walked over to the table and slipped on a pair of gloves. Grabbing a bit of vervain, he waltzed over to Julius and held it threateningly above him.

"You're a sick motherfucker," Julius told him.

"And you are up to no good!" Damon said with wide eyes. "Otherwise, you wouldn't be so secretive about why you're here. Does Bonnie know?" Julius remained silent. "How do you know Bonnie?"

"I met her at that sad excuse for a bar downtown," he confessed. "Like two weeks ago. She doesn't have anything to do with me."

"Why are you here?"

Silence.

"Fine." Damon placed the vervain against Julius' face and his silence was broken by a scream of pain. "Start talking."

"Fuck you," Julius spat angrily.

With that, Damon stuffed the vervain into his mouth. "There's a lot more where this came from, buddy," Damon told him as he tried to spit it out, but Damon held it there. Julius' throat was on fire and he internally screamed as he choked on it. It wasn't until this moment, he was starting to regret ever coming to Mystic Falls.

* * *

><p>Ten minutes away, an unaware Bonnie was being successfully distracted by her two best friends. The three girls lounged on the couch in the Bennett house, stuffing their faces with junk food and watching Mean Girls.<p>

"Elena, have you talked to your brother today?" Bonnie asked as Damien demanded his pink shirt back onscreen.

"Yeah, he's working tonight," Elena replied. Bonnie didn't fail to notice the quick look exchanged between she and Caroline. Elena had never been a good liar.

"Okay," Bonnie said. "I'll be right back, I want some more ice-cream." She stood and Elena and Caroline kept their eyes glued to the screen as she rushed off into the kitchen. Since they'd once again arrived on her doorstep unannounced, they seemed to be trying to prevent her from contacting Jeremy. She was going to get to the bottom of it. She whipped out her cell and quickly dialed.

"Come on," she whispered as the phone rang and rang.

Just as she was about to hang up there was a click, "Hello?"

"Damon?" Bonnie asked, surprised.

"Judgy," he replied in his familiar sardonic tone.

"What are you doing with Jeremy's phone?" She demanded to know.

"What are you doing calling him?" Damon asked. "Tell Elena and Caroline they had one job!" Bonnie heard a man scream in the background.

"What was that?"

"That would be your vampire boyfriend," Damon replied. Bonnie's heart dropped. "He's being very tight-lipped about what he's doing here. I am surprised you've kept him a secret, Bonnie. What do you know?"

"Don't hurt him, Damon!" Bonnie cried.

"I won't if he starts talking," he said. "Until then..." Bonnie heard Julius howl again. "Gotta go." There was a click as Damon hung up. Bonnie cursed loudly, and when she whirled around she wasn't surprised to see Elena and Caroline standing there with guilty eyes.

"I can't believe you guys!" She shouted.

"Bonnie, we don't trust this guy," Elena said as Bonnie stormed past them. "I asked Damon not to use violence, I swear."

"But you knew he was going to anyway!" Bonnie yelled back at her as she headed toward the front door. "You shouldn't have told Damon anything!"

"I didn't have a choice!" Elena went after her. "You kept lying to us! He could be dangerous!"

Caroline vamp-sped to the door before Bonnie could reach it and blocked it. Bonnie looked back at Elena who was standing behind her like a security guard. "Seriously?" Bonnie was in disbelief. "You guys are going to try and trap me in here."

"It's for your own good," Caroline said.

"He was going to leave!" Bonnie argued. "I swear I was pushing him out. It may have been taking some time, but I was taking the _non-violent _approach. I would've gone there if I needed to but either way, I was going to get him out. You guys should've never intervened."

"It's too late now," Elena said, sadly. "The damage is done. Who knows what Damon has done to him, and if he lets him go now, there's no way he'll leave quietly. Vampires live for revenge."

"You don't even know him," Bonnie snapped.

"Neither do you," Caroline spoke up. "At least that's what you told us. If that's true, then you can't say what he'll do."

Bonnie didn't want to talk about this anymore. "Caroline, move," she demanded. The blonde didn't budge. "If you care about saving our friendship at all you will move."

"Bonnie, please..." Elena's voice wavered. "There may be another threat out there. We need to know. We're trying to keep everyone we know and love safe."

Realization quickly sunk in for Bonnie. "Damon is going to kill him, isn't he?" She questioned. "Even if Julius tells him everything, he's going to kill him." There was a moment of silence, as neither of the girls wanted to confirm this.

"Unbelievable," Bonnie muttered.

"If he doesn't, Julius will just turn around and try to kill him," Elena pointed out. Bonnie felt a burst of anger inside of her, and her following actions were not thought out beforehand.

In an instant, both vampires were on the floor, holding their heads and screaming in excruciating pain. Bonnie quickly opened the door and, stepping over Caroline, rushed out of the house. Their pain ceased as she got into her car. They could do nothing but listen to the sounds of her pulling away, as their emotions went from shock to disbelief to anger.

* * *

><p>Julius' wounds weren't healing as an impatient Damon continuously vervained him. It seemed like he'd been at this forever and he'd only gotten one word out of him. A name to be exact. <em>Valerie. <em>

"Tell me this, Julius," Damon squatted so he was face-to-face with the suffering vampire. "If and when I kill you, will this Valerie or anyone else come looking for you?" Nothing. "I looked through your phone. Who's this person sending threatening messages? They don't want you here either, and when I called the number there wasn't an answer. Is it Valerie?" No answer. Damon sighed. "Okay, here's what I'm going to do. Because I'm nice, I'm going to kill you quick and if anyone comes for you, I'll quickly kill them too. Deal?" Julius' hazel eyes were bloodshot, and they continued to pierce into Damon as he stood. "See you on the other side, brother."

Julius let out a shout as Damon punched a hole in his chest and wrapped his fingers around his non-beating heart. Not a second later, the doors of the boardinghouse flew open, and the little witch was storming the castle. Damon released Julius' heart as Bonnie ran into the room, and before he could say anything she threw her hand up and he was flying through the air. He hit the wall with a loud thud then the floor as Bonnie ran to Julius.

"What the hell did you do that for?" Damon grumbled as he tried to gather himself.

Bonnie's eyes widened at the sight of Julius. He was bloody and sweaty, burn marks riddled his body, and his usually perfect hair was matted to his forehead. She was appalled and disturbed at the sight of him. He looked spent and defeated as they locked eyes, a sad contrast to the smug arrogance she'd seen in him prior. "What did you do to him?" She shouted back at Damon who was now standing up.

"What, are you shocked?" He asked. "Don't act brand new on me, Bonnie. You know this is what I do when I need answers. Weren't you the one who helped me do this exact thing to a certain Lockwood?"

"That was a different situation," Bonnie growled. With a small bit of magic his bindings fell away. Julius hadn't said anything since she'd come roaring in, and he remained silent as she helped him to his feet.

"You're making a mistake, Bonnie," Damon admonished. "This guy is bad news. He's after someone, and I'm sure this is the same person who's been threatening to kill him if he doesn't leave. Good guys don't usually have someone threatening their lives."

"There's a grand list of people who want you dead, Damon," Bonnie argued.

"Exactly!" Damon cried. "I'm a bad guy, I've done bad things! I'm willing to bet anything that he has too. You're not a dumb girl, you know he has secrets and they're not pretty so why are you protecting him?"

"I told him if he didn't cause any trouble there wouldn't be any problems," Bonnie revealed, her arm around Julius who was hunched over and looked ready to collapse. "There hasn't been. Not a single dead body, which is more than I can say for when you came blowing into town. I'm a woman of my word."

"I made no such promises."

"He's going to leave town and there won't be an issue," Bonnie declared. "I'm taking him out of here." Aiding him the whole way, Bonnie and Julius walked out of the boardinghouse, leaving behind the cursing Salvatore.

Bonnie helped Julius into the passenger seat of her Prius and quickly rounded the car and clambered into the driver's seat.

"Thank you," Julius finally spoke as she pulled off.

"Are you healing?" She asked in response.

"It's taking a long time," he replied. "They really fucking hurt."

Bonnie cursed to herself and decided to do something she never did voluntarily. "Here." She held out her arm in front of him. "You get greedy, you get an aneurysm. Got it?" He looked at her with surprise but she kept her eyes on the road. He gingerly took hold of her wrist and his fangs burst from his gums. Bonnie flinched as he sank his teeth into her wrist, and she was silent as he drank her blood with a gentleness and gratefulness she'd never experienced in this situation. The times a vampire had taken her blood, it had been an attack and/or an intent to kill.

It wasn't too long before he came up for air. He retracted his fangs and fell back against the seat, closing his eyes. Bonnie peeked at him and could see his wounds healing. "Better?" She asked.

"Much," he replied. There was a moment of silence, then he opened his eyes again and sat up straight to look out onto the road. "Where are you taking me?"

It wasn't until then that Bonnie realized she had instinctively been driving to her house. "Where do you want to go?" She questioned.

"My car is at the park where Busboy and your buddy back there ambushed me," he said. "How did they even get you there?"

"One of them stole Jeremy's phone and sent me a text to meet up there, pretending to be him," Julius explained. He shook his head. "I fell for the okie doke."

"You had no way of knowing."

"I have to say, aside from Elena, I'm not liking your friends too much."

"What about Jeremy?" She decided against telling him Elena was the one who sent Damon after him. She figured it wouldn't matter in the long run, so he didn't need to know.

Julius shrugged. "He's real young," he said. "Way too into his video games. Not really my thing."

"So, why would you play with him for hours?" Bonnie asked incredulously.

"I thought that maybe if your friends accepted me, you would too," he admitted. Bonnie sighed.

"They won't," she told him.

Julius nodded. "I realize that now."

"I'm sorry this happened to you," she said with a bit of hesitation. "You have to leave, Julius. For your own safety. You realize that now, right?"

He gazed at her. "Back there you said you were saving me because you'd told me there would be no problems if I didn't cause problems," he said. "You've insisted that you never want to see my face again. Why not let him kill me and be rid of me forever?" He questioned.

"I told you, I'm a woman of my word."

"Are you sure that's the only reason?" He pressed. Bonnie gave him a sideways look.

"What are you implying?"

"That maybe you think that I may not be so terrible," he concluded.

"That's a big maybe." They pulled up to the park where his Mercedes was still parked. "Wow, that's a beauty. It fits you perfectly."

Julius opened the car door and got out, Bonnie got out as well and leaned over the car. She watched Julius dig into his pockets for his keys, a panicked look overtake his face, and him start digging furiously into all his pockets.

"Do you not have your keys?" Bonnie questioned.

"No, that's not it," he replied. He sighed in frustration. "That son of a bitch still has my phone."

"Oh." Bonnie didn't consider this a big deal for a vampire. "Can't you just get a new one? You can compel yourself a free one.

He shot her a startlingly angry look. "No, I need _that _phone back."

"Okay, no need to get pissed at me," she said. "I'll get it back for you. Lay low tonight. Come by my house tomorrow at noon, I should have it by then. Then you've got to hightail it out of here."

The corner of his mouth curled up into that half-smile and for the first time she didn't want to physically wipe it from his face. "See you tomorrow. " He turned and unlocked his car door. Bonnie started to get back into her own car but he called her name, giving her pause. "I can't thank you enough for what you did for me tonight," he said, humbly. "I owe you for this."

"You don't owe me anything," the witch replied. "I was just doing what I thought was right."

"You're a good person," Julius assessed with a nod. "These _'people' _you surround yourself with, they're the ones that are trouble. They'll just bring you down in the long run. Honestly, Bonnie, you could do better than all of them."

Bonnie couldn't shake these words from her mind for the rest of the night.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Please leave a review if you read. It really is helpful to know what you guys are thinking. Hope you enjoyed!**


	5. Know You Now

**A/N: I have to say I love how receptive you guys have been to Julius. I was afraid everyone would immediately be Team Damon "KILL HIM OFF!" lol but you all seem to be giving him a proper chance so thank you. There is still a lot to learn about this character. Every vampire has it's demons.**

**Song: Know You Now by Amy Winehouse**

Disclaimer: I own nothing but Julius and my words.

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><p><strong>5 - Know You Now<strong>

"I can't believe her!" Caroline was fuming as she paced the Salvatore living-room. "She actually got physical! How could she? Bonnie has never tried to hurt us before..." This sentiment went unfinished as this recalled a certain incident from earlier in the year. Elena shifted uncomfortably in her seat at this, seeing as they'd all agreed to never speak of this certain time in her life. Elena had been running wild with her humanity switch off and had attempted to kill Caroline and Bonnie, and Bonnie had to teach her a lesson. The witch got a pass on that one, but Caroline was appalled at her actions from this particular night.

"Technically she didn't get physical seeing as she didn't touch you," Damon said.

"You know what I mean," Caroline snapped, shooting him a dirty look. "She hasn't been herself lately. She's been snappy and mean, distant. I can't help feeling like this Julius has something to do with it. It's just weird that she would be so adamant about saving him. Aside from me, Elena, Tyler, and Stefan she hates vampires." Damon smirked at her exclusion of his name.

"Poor little Gilbert," Damon said although there was no hint of actual sympathy in his voice. He took a sip from the glass of bourbon he'd poured himself. "He cheats on her with a ghost, she cheats on him with a vamp. Sounds like one is much worse than other."

"We don't know that they have that kind of relationship," Elena debated.

"Those aneurysms are a bitch, aren't they?" Damon asked, sardonically. "Is that something a girl would do to her two best friends for a guy she isn't fucking?" Elena and Caroline exchanged a look of uncertainty. "Regardless of the nature of their relationship, I don't like it. She said she would make sure he left town but I don't trust him which means I can't trust her, and now he's a threat. I want him dead."

Damon hated to admit this to himself, but it was times like this when he missed his brother, Stefan. Whenever he wanted to resort to murder, his brother was there to be the voice of reason. For the most part, Stefan liked to take the most peaceful approach possible. Damon knew for sure this would be one of those times. He could hear him now, _"We should just talk to him. We don't need any more enemies. He could be a good guy. Just relax, we'll find out what we need to know."_ Usually, if Stefan wasn't around to ring the humanity bell, Elena would fill his shoes. This time, she remained quiet.

Caroline spoke up instead. "If we kill him, Bonnie may never forgive us."

Damon narrowed his electric blue eyes. "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn."

* * *

><p>It was early the next morning when Bonnie called Damon. He sounded wide awake when he answered the phone.<p>

"What do you want, traitor?"

"You have his phone," Bonnie said, calmly. She wasn't going to dignify his accusation with a response.

"What, no I - oh, look here it is."

"I'm going be needing that."

"Why? It's of no use since he's already long gone, right?" Damon asked in an aggressive manner.

"Just bring me the damn phone," Bonnie demanded.

"Bonnie, you swore you would get rid of him!"

"And I meant it!" She cried. "Stop being difficult, Damon. Either you drop it off at my house or I'll come to your place and spell it out of your hands. Either way, I'm getting that phone."

"I'll come to you," he said. "I'll bring it on my way to bring little Gilbert his phone. Remember him? Your _boyfriend_?"

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "Don't do that, Damon."

"Why not?" He quipped. "Does Jeremy know about your relationship with Julius?"

"We don't have a relationship," Bonnie replied. "Jeremy already knows about him."

"So, you'll have no problem filling him in on last night's events," Damon said. "You know, where you did that cute thing where you brain-fried his sister, came storming into my house, threw me against the wall, and rescued the prince."

Bonnie's jaw tightened. "I never hide anything from Jeremy," she said. "He'll understand that I was trying to do the right thing. Now, bring me the damn phone!"

"I'll be there soon. You and I have to have a chat anyway."

"I have nothing else to say to you."

"Yeah, well I still have plenty to say!" Damon snapped. "I'll be there in a minute."

"Hurry." Bonnie hung up the phone and threw it down onto her bed. She sighed and fell back onto the bed. This whole situation was growing increasingly stressful. She did regret conflicting pain on Elena and Caroline, and knew they were most likely pissed and had every right, but if she hadn't Julius would've ended up dead and Bonnie would've felt even more guilty knowing she could have prevented it. She hoped Damon got there ASAP. She wanted him to have come and gone by the time Julius arrived, for obvious reasons.

* * *

><p>The hours ticked by and there was still no sign of Damon. He wasn't answering her many calls and texts. Bonnie grew more anxious and could barely sit still long enough to eat breakfast. At exactly 12:02 her doorbell sounded. She rushed to open it to find Julius standing tall on the other side. Her heart sank.<p>

"Fancy meeting you again," he said, with a half smile.

"I'm so sorry, Julius," she said with sincerity. "I thought I would have your phone by now, but I don't."

"It's okay," Julius said with a shrug. "Your friend has been here for over an hour, waiting me out. I think I'll just kill him, then pry my phone from his cold, dead hands." Before Bonnie could even begin to question this, a body was flying up her porch steps toward Julius. Julius turned to face them in a move too fast to detect, and threw up a stiff arm that sent Damon Salvatore flying back down, hitting Bonnie's parked car so hard it left a dent. Damon was back on his feet in a second, and both vampires stood sneering at each other, veins pulsing and fangs bared.

"No!" Bonnie shouted. "You guys are not going to do this!"

"You caught me slipping one time, mate, it's not going to happen again," Julius promised, a menace in his eyes Bonnie had had yet to see.

"If you were wise you would've left town when you had the chance. Mate." Damon added the last word condescendingly.

"Damon, don't..." Bonnie begged but he ignored her.

"Don't worry, I'll be escorting your body across state lines." Damon was charging again and before Julius could retaliate Bonnie had an impulse.

"Julius! Come in!" She shouted. Julius felt an unseen force yank him backward into her house and Damon slammed into the invisible barrier that kept uninvited vampires out. He could do nothing but glare as Julius shot to his feet.

"The little witch _always _there to protect you," Damon hissed.

"I don't need protection," he threw back. His anger was growing at Damon's attempt to eviscerate his manhood. He didn't ask for Bonnie's help. It was only preventing him from ripping this man's heart out. "Aren't you the one who needed Busboy to take me down in the first place. Only cowards have to constantly sneak attack."

"Step out here and say that again."

"Gladly." Julius tried to speed out the door but Bonnie threw her hands up and used her magic to push him back. She kept her hands up, and narrowed her eyes in concentration at Julius as she pushed him backward. He tried his hardest to push against it, but he couldn't fight against her power.

"Booonnniee!" He growled angrily but she didn't release the force. He hit the wall and found himself stuck.

"No one will be killing anyone!" She declared, having put her little witchy foot down. "And you bastards bent my car! Damn you!"

Damon glared down at her. "You are on the _wrong _side, Bonnie," he told her through gritted teeth. "Why can't you see through his good guy facade? He's still a vampire."

"I know," she said. "I don't know if he's a good guy or not. I want him gone too, Damon. But not like this."

Damon looked back up at an immobilized Julius. "Want your crappy phone back? Here." He took it out and held it up in his hand. "Take it." He whipped the phone with neck-breaking speed and it flew down the hall right toward Julius' head. Bonnie narrowed her eyes and it stopped, right before it could crack his skull open, and dropped. Now Bonnie was furious.

She spoke to Damon through gritted teeth. "Get away from my house or so help me God, I will give you an aneurysm that never stops!"

Damon glowered at her then stepped away. "I will get him," he promised. "Even if I have to go _through_ you, I will kill him." He turned and vamp-sped away. Bonnie slammed the door shut and Julius dropped to the ground.

"You need to stop doing that!" He demanded as he got back on his feet.

"Doing what?" She asked.

"Trying to rescue me," He clarified. "It makes me seem weak. I don't need the help, Bonnie. I can take that guy out."

"Damon is almost 200 years old," Bonnie informed him. "I don't know how long you've been around, but you seem fairly new, and either way, Damon is a lot stronger than he looks."

"Yeah, so are you," Julius commented. "Who knew that small body could house such power. I really wish you wouldn't have trapped me, that guy deserves to be ripped to shreds. And I would like to pay Busboy a visit-"

"No!" Bonnie glared at him. "You will not hurt Matt."

"I don't want to hurt him." he said. "I just think he owes me an apology. A real one this time. He pretended to bury the hatchet then tried to stake me. Or at least pretended to try so that bastard could sneak up on me." Bonnie shook her head and Julius followed her into the kitchen. He settled into one of the stools and she opened up the fridge.

"Well, I did warn you about them," she reminded him, taking a bottle of water out of the refrigerator.

"Yes, I remember," he said with an eye roll. "'_I have some undead friends of my own, and they do not take kindly to new friends. Get it?'_" He raised the pitch of his voice mockingly. It was Bonnie's turn to roll her eyes as she held out the bottle.

"Sorry I don't have any...blood."

He shook his head. "I'm not thirsty."

Bonnie shrugged and opened the bottle to drink it herself. "Pushing you away from Damon took more out of me than I expected," she revealed after taking a big gulp. "You really are a fighter."

"You really shouldn't underestimate me."

Bonnie studied him for a moment. "When is the last time you ate?"

"Right before I got here."

Bonnie narrowed her eyes at him. "What do you eat?"

"What do you think?" Julius asked sarcastically.

"Shit, Julius!"

"What?!" He cried. "I haven't killed anyone! I've been here almost two weeks, did you really expect me not to eat during all this time?!"

_"_My friend, Stefan, was on an all-animal diet for years and he functioned just fine," she argued. She left out the small detail that Stefan's diet had slightly weakened him in comparison to vampires who consumed human blood.

"That sounds gross," Julius replied, his face scrunched up in disgust.

Bonnie looked at him with a deep sigh. "Well, I do appreciate the fact you haven't left a string of bodies around town," she admitted. "You obviously have self-control."

"If it didn't you wouldn't still be here," he said with a smirk. "I don't think you realize how good you always smell, Bonnie."

She wasn't sure how to respond to that, so she didn't. "How old are you?" She asked, instead.

"Thirty."

"No, I don't mean your human age I mean - thirty, really? You look younger than that - I mean, your vampire age."

"Thirty," he repeated. "That's my vampire age. I was turned when I was twenty-six years old."

Bonnie's jaw dropped. "You're only four years old!"

"Don't say it like that, it sounds weird."

_"_Wow, you really are brand new!" She observed incredulously. "I don't think I've ever met a vampire younger than 150. Except for Caroline and Elena, but I didn't meet them as vampires. I knew you couldn't be that old because you're not constantly bragging about how ancient you are. The biggest difference between vamps and humans is how proud vampires are of being old." Julius chuckled at this.

"How do you know so many?" He inquired.

"I didn't until my best friend started dating one," she replied. "Since then they kept popping up and I can't seem to get rid of them."

"I'm sure your powerful enough to take us all out if you wanted to," he complimented. Bonnie smiled then quickly grew serious again.

"Who is Valerie to you?" Bonnie asked. His face turned to stone.

He shot up so fast it caused Bonnie to jump. "We are not going to talk about that." He turned and started heading out.

"Why are you so secretive?!" She cried, following him.

"Why is it necessary for you to know?!"

"You want my help, don't you?" She threw at him. This stopped him in his tracks. "That's been your reason for sticking around, right? If you want help locating her, you're going to have to learn to open up to me just a little bit. I need to know that you don't have evil intentions." Julius slowly turned to look at her.

"Are you serious?" He asked. "You'll help me?"

"Why not?" She said with a shrug. "It's not like I have anything better do. I know I've been mean to you and haven't really given you a chance, but now I'm willing to try. We're going to need to build a trust with each other if we're going to work together. So tell me. Who is Valerie to you?"

Julius sighed deeply, and pondered for a moment before speaking up. "Valerie is someone that I loved very much," he confessed. "She was everything that I lived for at one point. I just want her back. I need her back, and if you can help me find her I'll be forever indebted to you."

"I knew there was more to you than just a stalky, arrogant jerk," Bonnie concluded with a smile. "You can sit in the living-room while I grab my grimoire. I'll be right back down." Julius nodded and headed into the next room while Bonnie dashed upstairs. Her phone buzzed as she fished her grimoire and a map out of her drawer. She took it out and frowned when she saw it was a text from Damon.

_I took the liberty of snooping thru your bestie's phone. You should be smart and do the same. Maybe you can get an answer to what I found. HINT: Check Gallery_

Bonnie shook her head and put her phone down on top of the dresser. Just like Damon to not just say what he found. She'd just given Julius a speech on trust, so to immediately snoop through his phone right after probably wouldn't sit well with him. She headed back downstairs, grimoire in hand, ready to do some magic.


	6. Salty Sweet

**Song: Salty Sweet by MS MR**

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for my OC.

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><p><strong>6 - Salty Sweet<strong>

_Five Years Earlier..._

_Julius fell back onto the pillows of the California King, spent but satisfied. Beside him lay the most gorgeous woman he'd ever set eyes on. "Is it just me or does it get better every time?" He asked, rhetorically, causing her to laugh._

_She responded with the soft, sultry voice he found so seductive. The voice that turned him on every time he heard it. "It will always get better with us."_

_He turned to meet her piercing gray eyes. "I can't believe how lucky I am to have you," he said, softly. She smiled and he gently cupped the side of her face. "I think I may be the luckiest guy in the world."_

_"__You can be even luckier if you come closer," she teased._

_He brought his lips to hers and immediately felt himself ready to go. They went at it again fiercely, as they spent a lot of their time doing. Julius had never made such wild, passionate love as he did with this woman on a regular basis, and she never failed to surprise him with the things she wanted to do. She had been pleased when she learned he could nearly match her aggression, as she looked to be the boss when it came to their relationship, but appreciated occasionally being dominated sexually. It was a sexy power struggle in the sheets, but there was no question as to who was in charge in every other aspect._

_Julius was displeased when she broke out of his hold and stood up, throwing on the white t-shirt he'd previously been wearing. "Where are you going?" He asked, sitting up._

_"__I'm going to make you dinner," she revealed, tossing her tousled, thick black hair over her shoulder, a move he always found hot._

_"__I can do that."_

_"__You cooked yesterday," she reminded him. "I want to this time. Plus, we both know you can't cook nearly as good as I can."_

_Julius lay back against the pillows. "I can't do anything nearly as good as you can, baby," he complimented. "Why don't you eat first? You haven't all day. This time bite me somewhere less obvious. People may start to think I'm being abused."_

_She chuckled. "Yeah, right. No one would ever believe that. I'm good for now, baby. Mexican or Italian."_

_"__Definitely Italian."_

_"__Coming right up." She blew him a kiss and disappeared from the room._

_Julius relaxed for a moment, then stood and walked over to his dresser. He looked through it and pulled out a pair of basketball shorts to throw on. When he unfolded them a photo dropped to the ground, facedown. When he picked it up and flipped it over he felt his heart skip a beat. There was April, beautiful as ever, the biggest, most genuine smile on her face. Julius had completely forgotten he still owned this picture, as his current love had demanded he get rid of anything reminiscent of her after he desperately pleaded with her not to compel away his memories of April. He swore it was unnecessary because his heart only belonged with her now, and he really didn't want six years of memories taken from him, even the negative ones. He was still looking upon the picture when he heard his lady's voice behind him._

_"__Yes," he whirled around, quickly tucking it away. _

_"__Everything okay?" She asked._

_"__Yeah, you just scared me," he admitted. "I didn't hear you walk up."_

_She pondered him for a moment then in a blink of an eye she was in front of him. "Are you sure?" The veins around her eyes started pulsing._

_"__Bab-"_

_Before he could finish his sentence, she was in full vamp mode and she sank her teeth into his neck with a force he wasn't accustomed to. _

_"__Ah!" He fell back against the dresser as she sucked madly away at his blood. Her unexpected aggression was causing more pain than usual. "I thought you said you weren't hungry!"_

_She sucked a bit more before coming up for air. "I changed my mind." And she was at his neck again. Julius suppressed his cries of pain and took it. He got the message loud and clear. It was in his best interest to get rid of that photo._

* * *

><p>Bonnie and Julius' laughter rippled through the air as she recalled her first time using magic on another human. "You don't understand!" Bonnie cried. "She was being such a bitch!"<p>

"How petty of you," Julius laughed.

"I know, but there was worse things I could've done," Bonnie said. "I set a car on fire that same day. That chick is lucky she only got a hose to the face!"

"It's unwise to belittle a Bennett."

"Exactly, now you're learning!" Bonnie exclaimed with a smile.

Their laughter was interrupted by a loud banging on her front door. Bonnie's brow furrowed as she stood. "Who's knocking like the police?" Julius questioned with a concerned look.

"I don't know," she said. "I'll be right back."

She went to the door and looked out the peephole to see Jeremy. She cursed to herself as she opened it. "Hey, babe!" She cried, attempting to sound excited to see him. He was clearly pissed.

"Why haven't you been answering your phone?!" He demanded to know.

"You called?"

"Yes, I've been calling all day!" He pushed his way into the house but didn't fail to notice the she had made no move to let him in.

"I'm so sorry, Jeremy," she said. "My cell has been in my room and I've been down here. I didn't even hear it."

He looked down at her suspiciously. "What's going on with you?"

"Everything okay, Bonnie?" Julius suddenly appeared in the hall. Bonnie cursed to herself again.

"I knew that was your car outside!" Jeremy exclaimed. "What the hell are you doing here?!"

"Jeremy - " Bonnie began but he quickly interrupted her.

"You guys acted like you barely knew each other!" He reminded them in an accusatory tone. "Now he's hanging out in your house?"

"It's not like that, mate," Julius piped up.

"Dude, I know you're a vampire," Jeremy snapped. "I overheard Damon and Elena talking about what happened last night." He looked back at Bonnie. "And I know what you did to my sister. How could you, Bonnie?"

"Jeremy, I really didn't want to," Bonnie explained. "She wasn't letting me leave and Damon was going to kill Julius. I really didn't want to do it, and I know I owe her an apology."

"Has he been here all day while I've been trying to reach you?"

"I'm just helping him find his friend then he's leaving town."

"It doesn't take that long to do a locator spell, Bonnie," Jeremy quipped. "I've seen you do it plenty of times."

He was right, but she wasn't going to tell him they had spent the past two and a half hours just talking. Once Julius saw her grimoire, he started asking questions, and soon she was telling him all about her personal history of magic. He seemed genuinely curious and interested in her stories and in what it was like being a young witch surrounded by vampires and werewolves. He'd never even heard of the Originals until she filled him in. Needless to say, they talked a lot, he learned a lot about her, they made each other laugh, and Bonnie was surprised to find herself actually enjoying his company, even with his constant teasing. The time flew by, and she hadn't even attempted a spell.

"It's my fault," Julius said. "I kept distracting her with irrelevant questions. We were just about to get to it." Jeremy rolled his eyes to the ceiling but didn't turn to face him.

"It's time for you to go," he demanded, still facing Bonnie. "I need to have a talk with my girlfriend."

Bonnie looked at Julius who nodded in understanding then headed past them to the door. Jeremy glared at him and he looked back at them as he opened it. "I promise you, Bonnie has done nothing wrong," he told Jeremy. "She's been trying to get rid of me and I kept bugging her to help me out."

"Yeah, well, you can find yourself another witch," Jeremy stated, coldly.

"Jeremy!" Bonnie cried.

"I mean it!" Jeremy exclaimed to Julius. "You can quit buzzing around my girlfriend, and you can take this fake friendship you tried to start with me and shove it. I don't want you around anymore." Julius looked to Bonnie and Jeremy moved in front of her, blocking his view. "Goodbye, Julius." Julius nodded and stepped outside, closing the door behind him without another word.

* * *

><p>"We need to get Bonnie back," Damon declared. Elena looked at him strangely.<p>

"Where did that just come from?" She questioned.

"We need her back on our side," he elaborated. "We can't lose her to Julius. What if a situation arises and we need her."

"You're right," Elena said as she snuggled up next to him and he wrapped his arm around her. The two were lounging on his couch, talking about what exotic location they would travel to on their first romantic getaway, which made Damon's mention of Bonnie even more random and ill-placed. "There always seems to be a life-threatening situation that calls for some magic. This may be the longest we've been without one, assuming Julius doesn't have some diabolical plan up his sleeve."

Of course he does," Damon disputed. "What supernatural creature ever comes to Mystic Falls without one?"

"Good question," she remarked. "I think it would take a lot more work than usual for you to get on her good side. Especially after you spilled the beans to Jeremy about everything."

"That was an accident!"

"Sure it was, Damon."

"It was!" He lied. After his confrontation with Julius at Bonnie's, he'd went over to the Gilbert house to talk to Elena and return Jeremy's phone. He'd recounted what had just taken place to Elena, knowing her brother was within earshot. Predictably, Jeremy had stormed into the room, demanding to know what was going on, and Damon felt compelled to let him know.

"All I want is for us to save this summer while we still can, because it's starting to go downhill," Elena complained. "All I want is peace."

Damon pulled her closer to him, wrapping both arms around her and placing his chin on top of her head. "I can fix this," he promised.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Bonnie felt the urge to go on a coffee run. After a long night of fighting with Jeremy, she was still tired and just wanted to fill up on caffeine and read magazines, like a normal eighteen-year-old girl. She planned to ask Caroline and Elena to meet with her later as well. They had to all bury the hatchet once and for all. She refused to keep fighting with her friends like this, it was draining.<p>

When she stepped outside she had a brief moment of panic when she didn't see her dented Prius parked directly in front of the house where'd she left it. Julius' Mercedes was there instead. She looked down and saw a small jewelry box with a note attached to it. She picked it up and quickly read the note.

**_Sorry about your car. This one should get you from A to B._**

**_-J_**

**_PS: Don't set this one on fire._**

Bonnie opened the jewelry box to see a car key placed on top of the velvet. The key to the Mercedes. Bonnie's jaw dropped. "Oh my God!" She looked back up at the car in disbelief. Then she shot off the porch and ran over to it. "Oh my God, are you kidding me?!" She rounded the car entirely, taking it in, then hopped into the passenger seat. Bonnie wasn't a flashy type of girl, and she was actually quite fond of her Prius, but she did want to have a little fun with this. She found herself wishing it was a girlier color, the car reeked of Julius' ego, and she smiled to herself as she turned on the engine and Kendrick Lamar came blasting from the speakers. _'No harm in a spin around the block'_, she thought to herself as she put the car into gear.

For the next three minutes, Bonnie didn't care what anyone thought. She was a spectacle as she rode down the street, windows down, music blasting. "_Seem like the whole city go against me, every time I'm in the street I hear YAWK YAWK YAWK YAWK!" _Bonnie rapped loudly along with Kendrick as she rolled along, enjoying herself quite a bit. It wasn't long before reality hit her, and she was back in front of her house before the song even ended. She and Jeremy had come dangerously close to breaking up the night before, and she knew riding around in another man's car would send him over the edge. Even if it technically belonged to her now. She sighed and got out of the car. She was going to climb into her good ol' Prius, Damon-shaped dents and all, and drive to the coffee shop like a normal person. No fancy rims, no leather seats, no speakers with eardrum-blowing volume.

Bonnie took a quick look around and panic set in. Her car was nowhere to be found. Not even in the driveway. Julius had taken it away completely, leaving her with only his ride. Bonnie cursed and faux-banged her head against the top of the Mercedes. She hadn't gotten his cell number before Jeremy bullied him out of the house, so she couldn't even call him to thank him for the gesture and politely request her own car back. She didn't even have the blood required to do a locator spell and bring the car to him. She huffed at the inconvenience of the situation, but she refused to be stuck in the house all day.

* * *

><p>Two hours and a bus ride later Bonnie found herself wandering into the Mystic Grill. She took a quick look around and spotted Matt across the room, clearing off a table. When he looked up and noticed her he shot her a nervous smile. Bonnie walked over to him and he still seemed unsure of what she was feeling.<p>

"Hey Matt," she said.

"What's up Bonnie?" He seemed to relax a little at her casual tone.

"I just left the coffee shop and I wanted to stop by and talk to you," she revealed. "Do you have a minute?"

"Sure, let me just drop these dishes off then I'll take my break," he said. She nodded and settled into a seat at the table he'd just cleared as he hurried off. As she awaited his return her phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Hey Bon Bon?"

"What do you want, Damon?" She asked with a roll of her eyes.

"Where are you right now?"

"I'm at the Grill," she replied. "Why?"

"Don't go anywhere. I'm on my way." He hung before she could question him further, then Matt was sitting in the chair across from her.

"How have you been?" He asked.

"Okay, all things considered."

He nodded. "I want to say that I am sorry for what Damon and I did, but Bonnie I really get a bad vibe from the guy and I think-"

"Matt," Bonnie cut him off. "I don't know what you think the nature of me and Julius' relationship is, but you do realize I would never do anything to hurt Jeremy, right?"

"I know, I don't know what I was thinking," he said, with a shake of his head. "He rubbed me the wrong way, and that may be why I was so ready to help Damon. And I just want to make sure you're safe, Bonnie. We've all had such bad experiences with vampires."

"I know, Matt, and I appreciate your concern," she said. "I'm not mad at you."

"Thank goodness," he said with a sigh. "I thought you may have been coming in here to rip me a new one."

Bonnie laughed and shook her head. "No, but none of you have to worry about Julius. I can keep him in line." They continued to converse, Bonnie slightly venting about her and Jeremy's troubles and Matt doing his best to offer sound advice. Soon she received a text from Damon. _Come outside. _She shook her head.

"Damon is up to something," she said.

"Isn't he always?" Matt joked.

"True." She laughed and stood up. "Thanks for talking to me, Matt."

"Of course, you're my friend, Bonnie." He stood up and gave her a quick hug before heading off to get back to work. She wandered outside and scanned for Damon. It was only a moment before he was pulling up to the curb in a brand new white Audi.

"Nice," she complimented as he hopped out. "You never struck me as the type of guy to like white cars."

"I'm not," he stated, as he rounded the car toward her. He tossed her the keys. "It's not mine. It's yours."

"Excuse me?"

"I'm calling for a truce," he explained, as he hovered above her, those striking blue eyes fixed on her. "I wrecked your means of transportation, even though you did perform your witchy juju on me for no good reason and technically Julius was the one who threw me against - "

"Damon, you did not get me a car," Bonnie said, incredulously. She barely ever got any gifts for her birthday, now vampires were giving her expensive cars like it was candy.

"Of course I did," Damon said with a shrug. "I'm on your side, Bonnie." He spoke with his typical Damon-like delivery, that just didn't sound genuine no matter how hard he tried.

"This is weird," Bonnie said, looking at the car. "I really don't know what to say."

"You can say, yes you'll come to dinner tonight," he offered. "You should know Elena is the one who picked out the car, I just took care of the rest."

"She did?" Bonnie asked.

"Yes, and she really wants you there tonight," he revealed. "Her and Blondie are already getting ready. We're all just going to have a nice, friendly dinner, as a nice group of friends."

"Nice and friendly. Two words that don't go with Damon Salvatore."

"Be at the boardinghouse by 7," Damon demanded. "Until then, enjoy your new ride."

* * *

><p>At 7:10 that night Bonnie was clambering up the steps of the Salvatore boardinghouse, big bowl of her best Caesar salad in hand. She rang the doorbell, only hoping that this night would go well. It was never long before Damon started in on her nerves, but maybe they really could have a fresh start.<p>

Caroline was the one to open the door. "Bonnie." She said her name with a sense of pleading in her voice.

"Oh Caroline." Seeing her brought emotion in Bonnie. "I'm so sorry for the other night, Caroline, I didn't mean it."

"Me too!" She cried, and the two girls embraced.

"Bonnie." The voice came from behind Caroline, and she pulled out of the hug to see Elena, looking at her uncertainly.

"I don't want to fight with you guys anymore," Bonnie declared. "I love you guys!"

"No more fighting!" Caroline concurred. "Especially over guys." Elena nodded and joined them in a three-way hug.

"So, are we all friends again?" Damon's voice came from behind them.

"_We_ are," Bonnie said, pointedly, meaning she, Elena, and Caroline.

"How's that Audi treating you?" Damon questioned.

"Great. Elena has good taste," Bonnie replied. She shut the door and the four of them left the hallway. Bonnie went in the kitchen to drop her salad off with the rest of the food, then wandered into the dining-room. Caroline and Elena had already set the table, and had done quite a nice job.

"Why is there five place settings?" Bonnie questioned. "Who else is coming?" She knew Jeremy was working a night shift at the Grill and Damon never invited Matt to anything so it couldn't be either of them.

Elena looked to Damon. "You didn't tell her?"

"I thought it would be more fun this way," he said with a shrug. "Who doesn't like a good surprise?"

"I don't," Bonnie said quickly. "What's going on?"

"Of course you do, Bon Bon, that's why you rode over here in the Audi and not the dented but still running Prius," Damon pointed out. Bonnie wasn't going to volunteer the information that she was no longer in possession of the Prius but a Mercedes instead.

"If you're going to hang this car over my head you can have the damn thing back!" Bonnie snapped.

"I don't want it back I just think a simple thank you would've sufficed," Damon said.

"Damon," Elena said with an eye roll. "Bonnie, don't worry about him. That will be the last time he brings it up." The doorbell chimed at this moment.

"Ah, our last arrival," Damon announced, then disappeared from the room.

"What's with Damon trying to play nice guy?" Bonnie asked Elena quietly.

"Nothing's up with it," Elena responded. "He's just trying to get back on your good side. All I can ask is that you please give him a chance. My life would be so much easier if everyone just got along."

A minute later Damon marched back into the dining-room and Bonnie was shocked to see Julius trailing behind him.

"Julius!" Bonnie exclaimed. Julius was stone-faced until he laid eyes on Bonnie, then a smile broke it. Caroline's jaw had dropped, as this was the first time she'd ever seen him.

"He made it!" Damon declared with faux excitement. "Now we can have the nice, friendly dinner I promised Bon Bon."

"I am so confused," Bonnie said. "What's going on here?"

"You keep vouching for this guy so I decided to extend an olive branch," Damon said. "Give him a proper chance."

"You two were literally trying to rip each other's throats out on my front porch just yesterday," Bonnie reminded them. "How are you going to sit down and eat together?"

"Funny, that's the exact same thing he said when I called him this morning," Damon said, his blue eyes wide. He, of course, had stolen Julius' number from his phone when he'd went snooping through it, though he hadn't initially planned to use it for this purpose. "I couldn't even convince him to come until I swore repeatedly that you were going to be here. I think he feels safer with you around."

"That's not it!" Julius snapped.

"And he did threaten to rip my heart out the second I tried anything before he even stepped foot in the house," Damon continued. "Dude's got trust issues." Bonnie shook her head and Damon disappeared into the kitchen.

Julius sighed and approached the girls. "Nice to see you again, Elena." He took her hand and softly kissed it.

"Nice to see you too, Julius," she said. "And I hope you know that I am so sorry for Damon's actions the other night. I did not want that to happen."

"I'm sure," Julius replied then looked to Caroline. "Who is this stunning woman?"

"Caroline," the blonde said in a whispery voice. Bonnie laughed to herself. It was the voice Caroline used whenever she was around someone she found attractive. She didn't even realize when she was doing it.

"Caroline. What a beautiful name," he complimented as he kissed her hand as well. He had the charm fully turned on, and it seemed to have instantly won Caroline over. She beamed at him as he walked past her over to Bonnie.

"Does this qualify as buzzing?" He asked in a sarcastic callback to Jeremy's accusation. "You heard the man, he invited me."

"Then I guess you're off the hook," Bonnie declared. They both smiled and he wrapped her up in a hug. Caroline and Elena watched them like hawks. The hug wasn't too tight and it didn't last too long and they stepped away from each other after, just like two platonic acquaintances would do. It was still weird to see for Elena. The last time she'd seen them interact, Bonnie looked like she wanted to rip his face off. Now, she smiled at him and it looked genuine. The dynamics of their "relationship" had definitely changed since that night.

Damon breezed back into the room, announcing he was ready to eat. Soon, they were all seated at the table, digging into the meal. Damon was at the head of the table, Elena and Caroline to the left and right of him, Julius next to Caroline and across the table from Bonnie. Bonnie knew this was a test. She had to be mindful of everything she said and did because Damon would be watching, picking apart all of their interactions in his head. Julius seemed to have the same sentiments, thankfully. Their body language had to read acquaintances and nothing more.

Predictably, a lot of questions were asked, especially of Julius. Damon, Caroline, and Elena all tried to play it cool and not bombard him all at once, but just casually bring up something but it was clear to Bonnie what they were doing. Bonnie and Julius ended up revealing how they'd truly met, Julius noticeably leaving out the small detail on who had left him staked behind the building in the first place. They also told the story of Bonnie demanding he tell her his business in Mystic Falls then leaving him on the ground with a brain aneurysm. This made her friends laugh, as it was such a classic Bonnie move.

"You would think as much as she does it to me I would've built up a resistance by now," Damon half-joked. "I can't say I'm mad at someone else sharing in the pain." They laughed and the conversation moved along. Bonnie was soon itching for the meal to be over and found herself relieved when it was. She could see Damon growing increasingly irritated with Julius' vague answers.

"Do you have any family?"

"Not really."

"When are you leaving Mystic Falls?"

"Soon."

"How did you become a vampire?"

"I died with vampire blood in my system."

Bonnie had to quickly change the subject after that last answer. She knew Damon wouldn't appreciate the sarcasm and was likely to say something not very nice so she brought up the subject of the Originals, which opened an entire conversation of memories. The distraction was successful, but Bonnie noticed Julius' infamous smirk as Damon glared at him over his wineglass. They could play pretend all they wanted. These two would never be friends.

After dinner, the guys headed into the living-room while the girls brought the dirty dishes into the kitchen. "Damn girl," Caroline said as they placed the dishes in the sink. "Elena told me he was hot but she didn't prepare me for that!" Bonnie and Elena laughed.

"He really is a closed book, huh?" Elena questioned.

"He's really private," Bonnie replied. "All I know is that he loves this girl named, Valerie, and he needs help finding her. I guess it doesn't matter now. Jeremy doesn't want me helping him."

"I can see why," Caroline half-joked. "Would you want that guy hanging around your girlfriend?"

"Caroline, I told you it's not like that," Bonnie said. "Jeremy has nothing to worry about. Julius' heart is with this Valerie."

"Bummer," Caroline joked.

The girls reconvened in the living-room where the boys were opening up a bottle of bourbon. Soon the drinks were flowing and the casual conversation turned into a game of "I Never". Bonnie knew this was another strategic move on Damon's part. He wanted to get alcohol in Julius' system and pump him for information.

Throughout the game they learned Bonnie once kissed Tyler during a game of truth or dare at a party in eighth grade, Caroline once had sex with Matt in a public place, Elena was the only one of the girls to never have kissed Tyler, Damon once dated a very famous Playboy bunny, and Julius had never been to Canada. He'd only had two drinks, one of them during dinner, and he was remaining tight-lipped. Bonnie decided to call it a night once she started yawning.

Bonnie went into the kitchen to grab her purse and Damon sidled up to her. "Have fun, Bon Bon?" He questioned.

"I did," she admitted. "We actually made it through a night together with none of your snarky remarks. Who are you and what have you done with Damon Salvatore?"

"Very funny," he said. He lowered his voice. "Did you get my text last night."

"Yes."

"And..."

"I'm not going to go snooping through the man's phone like some psychotic girlfriend," Bonnie admonished. "It's none of my business, and it damn sure isn't yours. Leave him alone, okay?" She walked away, back into the living-room where Julius was conversing with Caroline.

"I'm heading out, guys," Bonnie announced.

"I was just about to leave too," Julius said. "I'll walk out with you."

"Okay," Bonnie agreed. The girls convened in the hall to bid each other goodbye. Damon took this opportunity to have a quick powwow with Julius.

"Glad you could make it," he told him. Julius nodded silently. "I just have to make one thing clear to you. I still do not trust you. If you have any ill intent toward Bonnie or any of these people, I will end you. Got it?"

Julius shook his head with a chuckle. "It's a wonder you and Bonnie don't get along better," he observed. "You two love to flex your muscle, and sometimes you even talk alike. You have a good night, mate." Julius stalked off and Damon had to refrain from snapping his neck just for the pleasure of it.

Bonnie and Julius stepped out of the Salvatore house a minute later. "I can't believe you actually came," Bonnie said as they walked toward her car.

"I almost didn't," Julius admitted. "As much as I do not like Damon, I did have a nice time tonight."

"I'm glad," she replied. "About last night..."

"Don't worry about it," Julius said quickly. "Jeremy is right to be protective over you. He's lucky to even have you, he would be crazy to want to share your time with another guy. Even if the time is completely innocent. I shouldn't have been so distracting, we could've gotten the spell done. It's just that I find you so interesting."

"I grew up in a small town in Virginia," Bonnie said. "I've had the same friends my entire life. Nothing exciting ever happened until the Salvatores came back to town. Not too much interesting about that."

Julius stopped walking and turned to look at her. "You know there's so much more to you than that." He kept his hazel eyes transfixed intently on her as he spoke.

"I'm sure there's a whole lot more to you but refuse to let anyone in," she replied.

"Yeah, I know your friends were trying to get me drunk," he said. "I don't drink much anymore. When I do I say too much." Bonnie laughed and Julius smiled at her. "So, Damon got you a brand new car."

Bonnie nodded her head. "At his girlfriend's request."

"I think mine would be better suited for you."

"I really appreciate the gesture, Julius, but I can't accept that car from you," she said.

"Of course you can."

"No, I can't," Bonnie insisted. "Things are already really delicate between Jeremy and I and if I was driving around in your car that will make things so much worse."

"It's not mine anymore, it's yours."

She shook her head. "It doesn't matter."

Julius changed his subject as Bonnie noticed he frequently did when the conversation wasn't going in his favor. "Why is Damon so obsessed with your life?"

Bonnie shrugged. "He usually doesn't care if I live or die," she replied. "There's just something about you that rubs him the wrong way."

"Good. I like making him uncomfortable." They both chuckled then grew quiet for a moment. Bonnie shifted uncomfortably under Julius' intense gaze.

"I have to get going," she finally said. Julius took a step toward her and Bonnie felt a twinge of panic. "Julius, we can't do this. I am so sorry, I know I promised I would help you, but I can't."

"Why not?" When Bonnie looked up at him he could see the struggle in her eyes.

"I told you, Jeremy isn't okay with this and I don't want to piss him off anymore," she said. "You have to leave. I'm sure you can find another witch somewhere else or another way to find who you're looking for. And you have to take the car back. I need it to be gone when I wake up tomorrow morning. Please."

"Is Jeremy the only reason you don't want to be around me?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure?"

"Julius, please don't do this..." Bonnie was shaking her head vehemently.

"You don't want to see me again?"

"I can't."

"I've only been on my best behavior with you," he said, honestly. "If you really never want to see me again, there's no reason for me to continue being such a gentleman."

Bonnie looked at him with wide eyes. "Julius..." Her plea was cut short. He gently grabbed her by the face and brought his lips to hers. Bonnie's heart was racing a mile a minute as she realized what was happening, yet she couldn't find the immediate strength to pull away. She didn't need it, as their kiss was quickly interrupted by a voice from behind them.

"Bonnie?"

She gasped and pulled away from Julius. She looked past him and her jaw dropped at the sight of a very familiar vampire.

"Stefan!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I know this chapter may have seemed like mostly filler but there is a BIG reveal coming up next update. I'm excited for you guys to read it. Working on it now!**


	7. Silver Line

**A/N: Sorry for the delayed update. I really hope you guys enjoy this chapter. I also uploaded a new fic, Enemy, if you haven't yet you should check it out!**

**Have a fun Superbowl Weekend, sports fans!**

**Song: Silver Line by Lykke Li**

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, except for Julius. They belong to LJ Smith and The CW. No copyright infringement intended. This is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

><p><strong>7 - Silver Line<strong>

"Stefan!" Bonnie exclaimed. The younger, brown-haired Salvatore stood with the most confused expression, and Bonnie still couldn't believe what she was seeing. She slowly started to approach him. "You're back?"

"I'm back," he stated.

"Oh my God!" She rushed into his arms and they wrapped each other up in a friendly hug. "I'm so glad to see you. I didn't know if I ever would again."

"I know," Stefan said with a head nod as they separated. "I didn't know if I would ever come back but Damon has left me countless messages over the past two weeks, and it's getting harder to ignore him."

"Well, you know how persistent he can be," Bonnie reminded him.

Stefan laughed and nodded in agreement. He looked past Bonnie and his expression quickly grew serious. "Who's your friend?" He asked, his blue-green eyes narrowing. Bonnie looked back at Julius who was watching them closely, his hands in his jacket pockets.

"This is Julius," Bonnie said, immediately feeling awkward. She was glad to see Stefan again, but the horror of what he may have just witnessed was sinking in. "Julius, this is Stefan. Damon's brother." Julius held out his hand and Stefan gave it a very firm shake. She was starting to get a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"Damon's brother, eh?" Julius repeated. "Has he always been such a nice guy?" His voice was dripping with sarcasm.

"Damon has been...Damon, for a very long time," Stefan responded. "Julius. I think your name may have come up in one of his messages." Bonnie could see right through Stefan's casual deliverance of that statement. Julius' name had come up in every single one of those messages. "Was something going on tonight, Bonnie? I see Elena and Caroline's cars."

"Yes, we had a dinner party," she replied. "It was your brother's idea, actually." Stefan made a face. "I know, he's being weird lately. He even bought me a new car after he dented my old one." Stefan thought he stepped into the Twilight Zone for a second. Damon Salvatore buying Bonnie Bennett gifts and throwing dinner parties where no one was killed? It just couldn't be. "I'm tired so I was just heading home. They're all inside and I'm sure they'll be happy to see you, especially Caroline. She's missed you a lot." Stefan nodded and started heading toward the house. Bonnie called his name and he stopped and looked back at her. She ran up to him and dropped her voice to a whisper, even though she knew it wouldn't really make a difference. "I just want to say..." She looked back at Julius for a moment. "Don't be so inclined to believe everything that Damon tells you. He's given Julius a hard time since he got here and there's no real reason for it. And I want you to know that Julius and I are friends. That is all." Stefan looked upon her for a moment, and she couldn't tell what he was thinking, then he nodded his head.

"Okay," he said. "Goodnight, Bonnie." He turned and headed into the house. Bonnie watched him for a second, then walked back down the pathway toward her car. It wasn't until she lifted her head again that she realized that Julius was gone. When she got back home, the Mercedes was gone as well.

* * *

><p>A soft knock came from behind Stefan and he turned to see Elena lingering in the doorway of his bedroom. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" She asked and he gave her a small nod of agreement. She entered the room and approached him uncertainly. "How have you been?"<p>

"Good," he responded, simply.

"Things have been...different without you here," she told him. "We've all really missed you." Stefan had missed them terribly as well, but seeing Elena in the arms of his brother so soon after their break-up was something he just didn't want to deal with.

When he'd first entered the boardinghouse everyone had stopped what they were doing and just stared at him for a second, coming to terms with what they were seeing. Finally, Caroline exclaimed his name and went rushing to hug him, followed by Damon and Elena. He received a warm welcome, which was nice, but everything just felt different, including all of their energy around each other.

"Look, Stefan, I just wanted to say that I am so sorry for what happened between us," Elena said as she stood before him, her apology reading genuine in her eyes. "I never meant for any of this. I loved you so much, and I still love you. Things just...changed. Regardless, your brother needs you and I hope that if you stay, you'll continue to be one of my best friends as well."

Stefan sighed. "I came back for my brother, because to a certain extent, I need him too," he admitted. "As for everyone else, we'll just see what happens. Things have changed tremendously, Elena. and we can't pretend they haven't. I wish you nothing but happiness, but my relationship with you isn't what's important right now or what I need to be focused on. It can't be." Stefan moved past her toward the door. "I'm really tired, I've had a long trip."

Elena hesitated for a moment. It was clear he wanted her to leave but the conversation hadn't went as she'd hoped. Deciding it was best to give him the space he desired for now, she nodded and walked out.

"Goodnight, Stefan."

"Goodnight, Elena." He shut the door after her.

* * *

><p><em>I miss you. <em>Bonnie received this text from Jeremy the next day as she was lounging on her bed, reading _Dark Places _by Gillian Flynn. She could barely sleep the night before, as she was feeling every emotion possible thinking about what had transpired between she and Julius. She continued into the next day deciding to do everything she could to distract herself from thinking about _him._ She tried listening to music, marathoning _Pretty Little Liars_ on Netflix, and now reading, but none of it was effective. She couldn't keep him from creeping into her brain.

Maybe seeing Jeremy was the best way to remedy this. She needed to be reminded that Jeremy was the only guy who should be putting his lips on her. She picked up her phone and quickly texted him back, _Miss you too_.

Ten seconds later another message popped up on her screen. _I got out of work early. Can I come c u?_

Bonnie wanted out of the house. _I'll come 2 u. Be there in 10._

_I'll leave the door open for you._

She climbed out of the bed, and grabbing the keys to the Audi off of her dresser, headed out the door. When she arrived at the Gilbert residence, she found that Jeremy had left the door unlocked like he'd promised. She stepped inside and surveyed the house.

"Jeremy!" She called as she walked down the hall. She entered the living-room and stopped at the sight of him. He stood there, tall and hunky as ever. The adorable smile that used to melt her heart cracked his face, but now all it did was send a pang of guilt through her. Her world seemed to come crashing down around her as she stared at him, and the realization of her situation heavily sunk in. Nothing was the same. No matter how much she wanted it to be, it wasn't. She loved Jeremy, she really did, but she was no longer in love with him. It wasn't fair to either one of them for her to allow them to continue on as if she were.

"Hey baby!" He was excited as he crossed the room to give her a kiss. He noticed she didn't really return it, but he figured she was just in a mood. If she was still upset about their fight from the other night, he was sure she would be over it by the end of tonight. He grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the couch. "You don't know how much I've been missing you. We can go out if you want. Or we can stay in, watch our favorite movie. I got you ice-cream."

"What kind?"

"Strawberry."

Bonnie's expression changed to one of disgust. "You got me strawberry ice-cream?" She questioned, incredulously. "I hate strawberry ice-cream."

"What? Since when?"

"Since always," Bonnie declared. "When have you ever seen me eat strawberry ice-cream? It's chocolate chip cookie dough. My favorite has always been chocolate chip cookie dough. Why don't you know that?"

"I'm sorry, Bonnie, I guess I just forgot," Jeremy said.

Bonnie sighed and took a step back from him, pulling her hand from his. "Jeremy, we need to talk."

Jeremy's heart sank. He knew that tone all too well. "Look, if the ice-cream is that important to you, I'll run to the store and get you some right now."

"It's not about the ice-cream," Bonnie told him. She spoke slowly, as she wanted to choose her words carefully and approach the topic as delicately as possible. "Things between us have changed, and I know that you've noticed it too."

"We've had rough patches before, Bonnie," Jeremy disputed. "We can get through this one."

Bonnie shook her head sadly. "We can't, Jeremy," she stated. "I don't feel the same anymore. I will never stop loving you, but we can't be together."

"Are you really doing this?" Jeremy looked like he was struggling to hold back his hurt and anger.

"I wish I didn't have to," she said, her voice cracking. The tears were bound to come at any second. "I'm so sorry, Jeremy, but it's over." Her first tear spilled over. They were both quiet, just stood staring at each other, Jeremy's face stone until he finally broke the silence.

"This is about that dick, Julius, isn't it?"

Bonnie shook her head vehemently. "It's not, I swear. It's just about us."

"Liar!" He snapped. "We were fine until he came to town." He leaned closer to her, and his tone was low and biting. "Don't be stupid, Bonnie. You barely know the guy. He's just trying to use you, and you're going to be the one that ends up hurt and alone in the end."

She gazed at him for a long moment, the once love of her life that was now just her former love. "Goodbye, Jeremy." She turned on her heel and walked out. A loud crash came from behind her, followed by sounds of household items being thrown around and kicked. She flinched but she didn't look back, she just left silently as her ex took his anger out on the house.

* * *

><p>Bonnie sat Indian-style on her bed, a piece of paper and a lit candle in front of her, contemplating her next move. She knew it was probably a dumb idea, but something inside of her just really found it necessary. Finally, she snatched up the paper and crumpled it up in her hands. She began muttering an incantation, holding her hand above the candle. The paper burned hotter and hotter in her hand until it disintegrated into ashes. She took a deep breath then blew out the candle. Luckily, this spell no longer took as much out of her as it did the first time she'd performed it. Then it was to get a message to Elena, and Jeremy had been beside her. She was a much more capable and powerful witch now, the spell was a lot simpler for her, and the message was intended for someone else this time. It was a simple one:<p>

**_Meet me at Mystic Park at midnight._**

**_-B_**

* * *

><p>Stefan could feel eyes on his back as he stood in front of the fireplace, drinking a glass of Damon's favorite bourbon. "Are you going to say something or are you just going to stare?" He questioned before turning to face his older brother.<p>

"Where have you been for the past month?" Damon asked, walking into the living-room.

"A couple different places," Stefan replied. "Did some traveling. I just needed some space." He didn't have to specify. Damon knew he had needed some space from he and Elena.

"Well, I'm glad to have you back, brother."

"I don't know how long I'm staying," Stefan revealed. "I came back to make sure you weren't causing any trouble or about to get yourself killed."

"Me? I'm the good guy now, Stefan."

Stefan didn't laugh at his joke. "What's going on with Jeremy and Bonnie?" He questioned. "Are they still together?"

"Far as I know," Damon replied as he settled onto the couch. "Why?"

"It's just that...it's probably nothing..."

"What is it?"

"The other night when I ran into Bonnie and that guy Julius," Stefan began uncertainly. "They seemed really friendly."

"Yeah, remember I told you they're like best friends now," Damon said, irritation clear in his tone. "For some annoying reason."

"I must be mistaken then."

"If you have something to say, Stefan, spit it the hell out!"

"Bonnie made sure to tell me that she and him were just friends," Stefan revealed. "But when I arrived...I'm pretty sure I saw them kissing."

Damon's blue eyes narrowed and he immediately felt anger rising within him. "That witchy little liar."

* * *

><p>Bonnie was at Mystic Park, standing near the woods, deep in thought. She heard the soft <em>whoosh <em>behind her and knew that he had arrived, but she didn't turn around. Instead, she took a deep breath then headed off. Not a word was spoken as she trekked deeper into the woods, weaving through the trees with a sense of familiarity, and he followed behind her. They soon came upon a small clearing, and she finally turned and met his smoldering hazel orbs with her innocent green eyes. He stood nearly seven feet away from her and didn't make a move to get closer.

"Why am I here, Bonnie?" He asked.

Bonnie felt her nerves tingling. This was odd to her, since she'd been around him plenty more times than she'd wanted over the past two and a half weeks, but now he was invoking a feeling in her aside from annoyance. She wasn't sure how to answer his question or exactly what it was she wanted. "Why did you kiss me?"

He narrowed his eyes at her, then gave her a full once-over. "You may be confused about how you feel, but I'm not confused," he stated. "I like you, Bonnie. I knew I liked you from the moment you gave me that first aneurysm behind Mystic Grill."

"That's...weird."

"I'm not a normal guy," he replied, humorously. "You told me to take my car and go, then you send me a witchy message to meet you. What's going on?"

"Jeremy and I broke up," Bonnie revealed.

"Okay."

"It wasn't because of you," she said quickly.

"I didn't think it was."

"My life has been such a mess," Bonnie said with a sigh. "My friends are always in danger and I always have to risk myself to save them, my parents are never around, my Grams, who is was the only mother figure I've ever had, is dead, I haven't been a priority in my boyfriend's life for months, and sometimes I just feel alone. The other night with you, at my house, that was different for me. You seemed really interested in getting to know me, and you made me laugh and you were charming. You showed me a different side to you that night. That person is someone I would like to know, that person is someone I could be friends with, vampire or not."

Julius was silent for a moment as he contemplated her. His face remained passive and she couldn't tell what he was thinking. Finally, he responded. "I was a good guy before I was turned," he said. "Being around you brought that out of me. There hasn't been anyone for years that I could be that guy again with. I've done some bad things, Bonnie."

"We all have, Julius."

"You don't understand," he said with a head shake. "As much as I have tried to redeem myself, I can't, so I've stopped trying."

"You are a good guy," Bonnie argued. "That smug, arrogant asshole you like to portray is a facade. I can see through it now. Just let it go, Julius. Be who you are. You can be that guy with me. I want to be your friend. I want to help you, but you've got to let me in."

He was suddenly directly in front of her, looking down at her intensely. Bonnie's heart skipped a beat, and she was sure he heard it. "You are the most amazing girl I've ever met," he confessed. "Amazing and beautiful, but so complicated. You told me you wanted me out of your life, that how Jeremy felt about me was more important than how you felt about me. Even with that knowledge, I had to kiss you. I wouldn't forgive myself if I didn't. I was halfway out of Mystic Falls when you contacted me. I know I should leave you alone because I don't deserve to have someone as amazing as you like me, in any way. But the moment I got that message on my windshield, I didn't give coming back a second thought. There was no way I couldn't see you again, knowing that you wanted to see me. I haven't had any real friends for awhile, but I'll take you anyway you'll have me. If friends is really all you want to be." He angled his head down closer to her.

"Julius..."

"Bonnie..."

"What about Valerie?"

This gave him pause, but only for a second. "My love for Valerie is completely different than anything I feel for you. Trust me." His lips were on hers. Her heart started racing, and her mind was screaming to stop it, but it felt so perfect. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he began kissing her with more fervor.

She pulled out of the kiss. "Julius..." she breathed, but she didn't move away from him.

He didn't respond this time, just started kissing her again. She pulled her body closer to his and his hands gripped her waist. They stepped back as their lips went at each other fervently until her back was against the tree. He brought his hands underneath her bottom and slightly lifted her up, causing her to let out a soft cry. His lips traveled from her mouth down to her neck. She closed her eyes and basked in his passion for a moment before once again her mind was telling her this wasn't right. _Think of Jeremy. You just broke up with him. This isn't right!_

"Stop! We have to stop!" She suddenly cried.

He slowly lifted his lips from her neck and looked into her eyes, his face still only an inch from hers. He opened his mouth to respond than his head snapped to the right with only the speed a vampire possessed.

"What's wrong?" Bonnie questioned, curiously.

"Sshh," he said, softly then released her. "Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

His head snapped to the left this time and he's brow furrowed as he concentrated hard. It slightly reminded Bonnie of the way Stefan looked whenever he was in serious vamp-hearing mode. "Somebody's out here with us," he said, quietly. "They're watching. It's _her _people."

Bonnie was utterly confused. "Who's people? What are you talking about?"

"We have to get out of here. Now." He suddenly grabbed her and lifted her up, then sped her out of there.

* * *

><p>Julius pulled to a stop in front of Bonnie's house in his infamous Mercedes Benz a short time later. Most of the ride had been silent. Bonnie wanted to question him about what had transpired, but he'd shut down as he was prone to doing. She wasn't going to get any information out of him just yet and she knew it.<p>

"Thank you for meeting me," Bonnie said softly.

"Did you really think I wouldn't?" he asked. He pulled his cell out of his jacket pocket and held it out to her. "I know every spell takes a little out of a witch. I think it would be easier to communicate like normal people if we have something to say to each other. Even if we aren't normal people." Bonnie gave a half smile and took the phone. She quickly entered her number, then looked out the window.

"That's weird," she said.

"What?"

"I turned all the lights off before I left but the living-room and the kitchen lights are on." She opened the door and quickly climbed out of the car. Before she could take a step Julius was out of the car and standing in front of her, facing the house.

"I can check it out," he offered.

"That's okay. I can handle myself, Julius."

He looked back at her with a smirk. "I think I know that better than anyone." He vamp-sped onto the porch and Bonnie scurried up the steps after him. He was concentrating hard on the sounds coming from within the house. "There's someone inside. Stay behind me."

Bonnie nodded then the door to the house opened slowly and soundlessly. "I'm still not used to that," he muttered and Bonnie smiled to herself. Julius stepped inside slowly, Bonnie close behind him. They walked down the hall and peeked into the living-room which was empty. Then there was a loud rustling on the second floor.

"Bonnie?" Called a deep, male voice from upstairs. Bonnie's eyes widened to the size of saucers and she quickly pulled Julius back.

_"__Who is that?"_ He mouthed.

"It's my father!" She hissed, frantically motioning for him to get out as she heard footsteps coming down the stairs. "You have to get out!"

"Bonnie! There you are." Her father, Rudy Hopkins, strolled into the room. Bonnie looked back and her heart slowed at seeing that Julius was no longer behind her. "Where have you been?"

"I was out with friends," she said, trying her best to sound casual and not like she'd just been on the brink of a heart attack. "What are you doing here? I wasn't expecting you for another two weeks."

"I finished my project in Nevada early." he said with a shrug. "And I just missed my daughter so much." Bonnie smirked at this untruth. Not that she thought he didn't miss her at all, but he never missed her enough to leave work behind. There was obviously something calling him back to his home office early and he was conveniently leaving that out. He walked past her and grabbed a piece of his luggage from the floor.

"So, do you always stay out this late?" He questioned in the fatherly tone she'd always found annoying.

"No, but it is a Friday night," she said, pointedly. "In the summer."

"Were you with Jeremy?"

"No."

He looked down at what she was holding. "New phone? It looks expensive."

It wasn't until that moment that Bonnie realized she still had Julius' iPhone in her hand. "Oh..."

"Gift from Jeremy?"

"Um..." Before she could come up with a coherent response he was moving past her toward the stairs, his bag slung over his shoulder.

"I'm hitting the sack," he said. "I have an engagement in the morning."

"You mean work?" Bonnie challenged, crossing her arms. Her father paused and looked back at her. She was wearing the look she always wore when she was ready to go head to head with him. He was too jetlagged to deal with it tonight.

Have a good night, Bonnie." And he disappeared up the stairs.

Bonnie sighed then traipsed up the stairs herself. She went into her bedroom, closing the door behind her and leaning on it. She looked down at the phone in her hand and Damon's message came into her mind again. _Maybe you can get an answer to what I found. HINT: Check Gallery. _She found herself pacing as she debated with herself. She knew it was wrong to snoop, but she had just experienced the hottest make-out session of her life. Now Julius was nowhere to be found, and she couldn't help feeling that if there was some dark secret he was holding she needed to know before she got further involved with him. She hit the power button on his iPhone and the screen lit up. She was surprised it wasn't locked. She took a deep breath then let her curiosity get the best of her.

* * *

><p><em>Five Years Earlier...<em>

_Julius stood in front of the two story townhouse while being plagued by a grip of memories. He'd told Victoria he was just going for a ride, but an hour later he found himself in front of his old home and he didn't know how he had gotten there. He hadn't been able to get April out of his head since rediscovering her photo in his drawer. _

_Getting the townhouse together was their first step to bringing their relationship to another level and their first time living together or with any partner ever. The house held a lot of loving memories for the two of them, and Julius had left it suddenly in the middle of the night. April had awoken the morning to find all his stuff gone and nothing but a letter saying he'd fallen for someone else and they could no longer be together. Julius hadn't stuck around to witness the heartbreak and devastation he'd caused her. He'd sworn to his vampire lover, Victoria, who had stolen him away from this sweet girl, that he'd never seek her out again. He'd upheld that promise until this day._

_Victoria would surely have his head if she knew he was there, so he sighed and turned from the house and headed back toward his car. He stopped at the sound of the front door opening and an airy voice calling out after him. "Jonathan?"_

_He hadn't been called by that name in over a year and the familiar voice saying it caused his heart to skip. He slowly turned around, knowing he'd been caught red-handed creeping. He faced his former love, and the sight of her nearly took his breath away. She was staring at him, her brown eyes narrowed. She wore a expression mixed of disbelief and anger. She looked pretty much the same to Julius. Her long, brown hair was flat-ironed straight and flowed down her back and her caramel skin was as pretty and flawless as ever. She looked like she'd gained a few pounds but it looked good on her and she was filling out her jeans well._

_"__What the hell are you doing here?" The anger was clear in her voice as she threw the question at him._

_He struggled for a moment to come up with a decent answer. "April...I..."_

_"__How dare you show up here after what you did to me," she hissed._

_"__I know, I'm an idiot," Julius admitted. He started to approach her, pleading in his eyes. "You have every right to be angry at me, April. I'm so sorry for hurting you and for leaving the way I did. You didn't deserve that."_

_April glared down at him, looking like she wanted to spit. "Did you come here after a year to tell me this."_

_"__You were the love of my life," he said with a shrug. "I can't help but miss you."_

_She raised her chin. "You know, I thought over and over about what I would do if I ever saw you again. I thought I might scream, cry, or maybe not even acknowledge your presence." Julius looked down shamefully. "Come in." He looked back up in surprise. She opened the door wider and walked back into the house, calling back, "Close the door after you!"_

_A minute later Julius was sitting in the armchair in the living-room. April still owned a lot of the furniture they'd purchased together but the armchair he used to frequent was gone. He looked around the room. All photos of the two of them had been removed from the walls. He couldn't say he was surprised._

_She settled onto the couch and looked at him a moment before speaking. "I wished I could forget everything," she informed him. "I wished I could forget our relationship, how it ended, I wish I could forget ever loving you. I was broken for months after you left, Jonathan, and as soon as I start to finally heal, you show up."_

_"__I wasn't going to bother you, I just..."_

_"__You just what?"_

_"__I don't know." He sighed. "I was being stupid. Again. I never deserved you, April. You're a wonderful woman, you deserve so much better than me."_

_"__That's what's confusing to me," April said. "You were a wonderful man, we were wonderful together. Everything was going great when you left. I even thought you might propose to me. That night on the bridge...I just don't get it. Why, Jonathan?" He could do nothing but hang his head in shame. If he'd had a choice, he wouldn't have left her, especially in that manner. But love at first sight and a vampire's compulsion had changed the game completely. "This woman you fell for? Who was she? How long were you cheating on me?"_

_"__I didn't cheat on you," Julius said quickly, his head snapping up._

_"__You obviously were," she debated. "You didn't leave me for someone you just met." He said nothing. "Six years of loving you unconditionally, and I never even got any closure. You disappeared at the worst possible time, Jonathan." He looked at her curiously. She sighed and stood up. "I was prepared for you to never know and handle everything on my own, but I guess you're here for a reason. I'll be right back." She disappeared from the room and Julius waited with bated breath, wondering just what the hell he'd been thinking coming here. _

_A few minutes later April re-entered the room, carrying a bundle in her arms. Julius stood and she walked over to him. The sound of a baby's gurgling emitted from the blankets. "Isn't she beautiful?" April asked. She moved the blanket and a small pair of hazel eyes peered up at him._

* * *

><p>Julius had four pictures stored in his phone. Two were of a beautiful baby girl, with long blonde-brown curls, a pretty complexion, and the most adorable smile. Bonnie studied the picture, her brow furrowed as she couldn't fail to notice the little girl's resemblance to Julius.<p>

"Find anything interesting?" The voice came from behind Bonnie. Her breath caught in her throat and she turned to see him, standing in the middle of her bedroom, a blank expression on his face.

"I'm so sorry, Julius," Bonnie said with a head shake, then held up the phone. "I have to ask. Who is this little girl?"

She could see his jaw clench. He had been nowhere near ready to share this information, yet she was forcing him to. "She's my daughter," he revealed. "Her name is Valerie."


	8. Hunger Pains

**A/N: Did anyone else just love that last episode of TVD! Kat Graham just gets better and better, and she's already made me cry twice this season. (SPOILER ALERT) I can't wait until she's back in Mystic Falls. They've kept her in '94 way too long. I need more Bamon feels! Anyway...**

**I know this update took longer than usual for me to get out, but I struggled with this chapter. No worries though, I'm back on track and I know exactly where I want the rest of this fic to go, so there shouldn't be any problems with future updates. Hope you all enjoy! :)**

**Song: Hunger Pains by Alexz Johnson**

Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries or these characters, except for my OCs. They belong to the CW. No copyright infringement intended.

* * *

><p><strong>8 - Hunger Pains<strong>

_Four Years Earlier..._

_A look of delight lit up Vee's face as she was lifted above her father's head. She giggled uncontrollably as he brought her back down. "Again?" He questioned. She gurgled in response and he lifted her up as she screamed and laughed. April sat on the sofa, watching them with a small smile on her face._

_"__Okay, that's enough," she said as he brought her down again. "It's time for her to eat."_

_"__Aww, Mommy says fun time is over," Julius said to Valerie, putting his nose to her tiny one. April got up and held her arms out and he reluctantly placed the little girl into them. _

_He thought he'd been in love before, but nothing he'd ever felt for any girl compared to what he felt for his daughter. It hurt him that he hadn't been there from the very beginning, and that he had to sneak around to see her now. When he was at home in bed with Victoria, he couldn't help but feel a little resentment. He loved her, but he loved his family too and he couldn't be with them in the way he wanted. Stolen visits every week, when he could manage to get away was all he had to look forward to._

_Julius looked at his watch and cursed to himself. It was already time for him to go. It seemed like the hour had flown by. "Shit, I have to go," he complained out loud._

_"__What did I tell you about cursing in front of her?" April scolded._

_"__I'm sorry, I'm still getting used to this," he replied. He watched April feeding Vee for a minute. "Thank you so much for this, A."_

_"__For what?"_

_"__For allowing me to be here," he elaborated. "For letting me be in her life as much as I can."_

_"__Of course," she said. "I would never intentionally deprive my child of having her father in her life, regardless of how I feel about you."_

_"__I wish I could change that," he said, sadly. "You have no idea how much I wish we could all be together like a real family."_

_"__If that's what you really wanted you could have that," April disagreed. "Instead, you keep choosing _**_her_**_."_

_Julius shook his head. "I've told you before, it's not like that," he said. "If she ever found out about me coming here, or about Vee, it could be a real problem for all of us."_

_"__I'm not scared of her, Jonathan."_

_He knew she wasn't and wished she was. April was a sweetheart, but she had a tough interior and fear was never her reactive emotion. Julius wished he could tell her what Victoria was and how much harm she could cause, but she would never believe it. She might think he'd completely lost his mind and ban him from visiting until he got help._

_"__I know that, but trust me when I say it's better if she doesn't know."_

_"__One day this isn't going to be enough," April declared. "She misses you when you leave. As she gets older she's going to want more of your time and more than just expensive gifts. She's going to ask questions about why you're not here, and you should be the one to answer them."_

_Julius nodded and stood up. "I understand that," he said. "I'm sorry for what I've put you two through."_

_"__And now you have to go..."_

_"__I'm sorry," He repeated. He could think of nothing else to say. _

_April sighed and stood up with Vee in her arms. "We'll walk you to the door."_

_He nodded appreciatively and the trio headed out. He opened the front door and stepped outside. He gave April a hug, placing a kiss on her forehead, then leaned down to kiss his daughter goodbye. He walked away with a heavy heart. He didn't spot the beautiful vampire seated in the black car with extremely tinted windows, four parked cars up from his. Victoria felt a rage building within her as she watched her mortal love leave his ex-girlfriend's house, get into his car, and wave to them as he drove away._

* * *

><p>Bonnie was floored. She had thought of many possibilities on who Valerie could be and what Julius was hiding, but she never suspected that he had a child. She found herself speechless for a moment and when she did finally speak, the only thing she could say was, "Your daughter. She's your daughter."<p>

Suddenly, Julius was right in front of her, snatching his phone out of her hand. "Please don't be mad," she said in a panic as he glared down at her. "I'm sorry, Julius, everyone has been getting in my head and I knew you were hiding something and...and I have no excuse for snooping. I'm sorry." He didn't say anything, just continued to glare. "It was a stupid thing to do. I need you to know that you really can tell me these things. Please, don't be mad at me."

He stepped away from her, giving her a long look before turning and speeding to the open window. "Julius, do not leave like this," Bonnie pleaded. "We have so many things to talk about. I don't want you to leave."

He didn't turn to face her as he spoke. "I was starting to think you could be the only person I would be able to trust," he revealed in a low tone.

"I am!"

"Goodbye, Bonnie."

"No!" She cried but it was too late. She felt a sharp wind, and he was gone.

* * *

><p>Caroline smiled at Stefan as he filled her in on the details of his impromptu trip overseas. She'd missed her friend almost as much as she'd been missing her boyfriend. "I'm glad that you had time to go and clear your head," she told him as she held onto his hand. "I'm even more glad to have you back." Stefan smiled himself.<p>

"Ugh, just kiss already," Damon muttered as he breezed into the room, car keys in hand.

"Where are you going?" Stefan questioned, moving away from Caroline.

"To see Bon Bon," he answered, heading toward the front door

"Wait." Stefan jumped up and followed him, dropping his voice to speak. "You're not going to harass her about what I told you last night, are you?"

"She lied to me, Stefan. I do not like being lied to."

"I'm sure she had her reasons," Stefan said. "Leave the girl alone. I'm wishing I never told you."

"Yet, you did," Damon said, opening the door. "I'm your big bro. Your loyalty is with me, not Witchy." He walked away and Stefan shook his head as he closed the door.

"What did you tell him about Bonnie last night?" Caroline asked from behind him. He turned to see her looking at him with a concerned look. He sighed. She questioned him again with a raised eyebrow. "What's going on?"

* * *

><p>"Hello, beautiful."<p>

"What are you doing?" Elena's raspy voice came through Damon's cell, putting a smile on his face.

"Just running some errands," Damon replied as he turned onto Bonnie's street. "What are you up to?"

"Still at the house with Jeremy," she said. "He's very upset. When I came home last night he'd wrecked the place."

"Why?"

"Bonnie broke up with him."

"She did?" Damon pulled over to the curb, watching as Bonnie walked out of her house with an older man, who he was pretty certain was her father. "Of course she did," he muttered to himself. "I'm going to call you back. Can't be on my phone while operating a vehicle, remember?"

"As if you're some kind of law-abiding citizen," Elena joked.

"Love you too, babe." He ended the call and watched as Bonnie and Rudy had an intense conversation at his car. He finally got in, and Bonnie watched as he took off, an unreadable expression on her face. Damon was out of his own car when she turned, and in a flash he was standing on her porch, looking down at her as she jogged up the steps. Startled, she stopped short than rolled her eyes when she realized it was him.

"What the hell do you want?" She demanded to know.

"Invite me in. We need to have a talk."

"Yeah right." She walked past him but he sped to the door, blocking her way. She sighed and put her hands on her hips. "Please don't make me put you on your ass right now, Damon. I don't have the energy."

"Hey, remember that one time when you told everyone that you and Julius had nothing going on and that you wanted him out of Mystic Falls just as much as us then my brother came home and caught you two making out in front of my house?" Damon asked, humorlessly. "Remember that, Bonnie."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You're the worst kind of liar, Judgy."

"You can stop obsessing about this, Damon," she said. "It's really not like that with him and I. As a matter of fact, I don't think he's even talking to me right now."

"Just like you to drive a man away so fast."

Bonnie narrowed her eyes at him and Damon cried out in pain and held his head with his hand. "Move," she demanded. He stumbled to the side and she opened her front door.

"How could you...do this...to Jeremy!" Damon managed to squeeze out. The aneurysm immediately ceased.

"I never meant to hurt Jeremy," Bonnie insisted. "I still care for him. but things haven't been the same with us in months."

"That kid loves you, Bonnie," Damon said, seriously. "He's going to be heartbroken when he finds out."

"He doesn't have to find out," Bonnie responded. "If you care about him the way you've been pretending for Elena's sake, then you won't tell him. And you won't tell Elena either."

Damon glared at her. "You put your witchy juju on me, then ask me for favors? I don't think so."

"I'm not asking you to keep this secret for my sake," Bonnie said. "You keep saying that you want me to trust you, that we're on the same side. Well, here's your chance to prove it. Don't tell them anything."

Damon didn't reply at first, just gave her a hard once-over. "What is it about him?" He asked. Bonnie already knew he meant Julius.

"I wish I had an answer for that," she replied, honestly. "I'm trying to be smart about every move I make. I need you to trust me too, Damon." He didn't say anything, so she turned and stepped into the house.

"I don't like it," she heard him say as she closed the door.

_Neither do I_, she thought to herself.

* * *

><p>It was a busy night at Mystic Grill. Jeremy and Matt were running around, trying to keep everything together and get to each table in a timely manner. Neither was having the best day, and their frowns deepened when a familiar, undead Aussie entered the bar. He didn't even look their way as he scoped out the place, then approached a group of college age girls that were eyeing him from the pool table.<p>

"Prick," Jeremy muttered to himself.

"You all right, man?" Matt asked.

"Every time I see him I get pissed," Jeremy admitted. "I wish he would just go away."

Matt nodded in agreement. "Look, I'm sorry about what happened between you and Bonnie," he said, genuinely. "I'm sure you guys will work it out and be back together in no time." Jeremy shot another angry glare Julius' way and shook his head.

"It's whatever, man," he said, before stalking away. "I don't need her."

Matt watched him go then turned his attention to Julius. His brow furrowed as he watched him talking closely with one of the cute blondes at the pool table. Matt picked up the bin for the dirty dishes and approached the table nearest the pair. He strained to hear the conversation over the music and loud chatter of the bar, as he pretended to be focused on bussing the not-so-dirty table. He picked up tidbits of what was being said, and his suspicions were soon confirmed. Matt rushed to the back room of the bar and quickly pulled his cell phone out of his locker.

"We need you up front, Donovan!" He heard his manager yelling.

"Just give me one second!" He called back as he dialed Bonnie.

"Hello?"

"Bonnie, you need to get to the Grill ASAP," he said quickly.

"Why? What's going on."

"Julius is here," he told her. "He's talking some chick into leaving with him and I'm pretty sure he's going to feed on her." Bonnie said nothing. "I can follow them but you may not like how I handle the situation. Plus, my boss would kill me if I left the building."

I'll be there in a minute," she stated firmly, then ended the call. Matt sighed and put his cell away. He'd done his part, now he had to get back to work.

* * *

><p>Bonnie rushed into the Grill and quickly surveyed the place. She spotted Matt bussing a table and quickly approached him. "Where is he?" She hissed.<p>

"He just left with her not even two minutes ago," he told her. "I thought you said this guy wasn't going to be a problem, Bon?" She sighed and looked around. Jeremy was on the opposite side of the room, glowering at them. Her, more specifically.

"I'll find them," she said then walked away. She saw Jeremy crossing the room toward Matt as she stepped outside. She was certain he was going to inquire about their short conversation.

Bonnie was heading back to her car when she heard a loud giggle. She stopped and tried her best to listen over the hubbub that was emanating from the building. She was certain she heard another girly giggle and the sound of a man's voice coming from the side of the Grill. She followed the sounds around the building. She saw two figures past the gate, pressed up against the cold brick. She slowly approached them, then stopped at the gate.

A girl who looked to be about nineteen or twenty was leaning on the wall, looking up into Julius's eyes with a crooked smile plastered on her face. His face was really close to hers as he whispered to her. Bonnie clearly heard him say, "Don't scream," right before his fangs made an appearance. Bonnie loudly kicked the gate open. His head snapped up and he angrily hissed at her. He paused, realizing who it was. The black veins faded and he retracted his fangs.

"Are you serious?" Bonnie looked at him, her expression a mixture of disgust and disbelief.

"I haven't eaten anything in days," he snapped.

Bonnie walked over to the girl and looked her in the eyes. "You need to run," she demanded. "Get in your car and go, and never speak to this man again."

"Bonnie, what the hell?!"

"I...I don't think I can," the girl said, uncertainly, looking to Julius.

"Don't look at him," Bonnie said quickly. "Did he compel you not to leave?"

"No," she said.

"Then leave." Bonnie's tone was firm and the girl quickly walked away, not looking back. Bonnie turned to Julius while crossing her arms. "You really are terrible at this vampire thing." Julius was not amused.

"You're a real bugger for that one," he complained, his agitation clear.

"I don't care," Bonnie retaliated. "You're compelling innocent people and drinking from them against their will. I will never be okay with that. Even if you're not killing them."

"You're not my mother, you're not my girlfriend!" Julius cried. "You don't get to dictate what I do or who I do it with!"

"You're right," Bonnie agreed. "If this is how you're going to be then I'm washing my hands of you. Good luck finding your daughter." She started away.

"Really? Now, _you're _mad?!" Julius cried at her receding back. "Going inside to run back to your little boyfriend there?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Bonnie spat, turning on her heel to glare at him. "What does it matter, anyway? You just said I'm not your girlfriend, so why are you talking like a jealous boyfriend? And let's not pretend you didn't want me to catch you with that girl."

"Get over yourself!" Julius spat, his face twisted up. "Of course I didn't want you to spoil the first meal I've had in days!"

"Is that why you came to the secret Grill, where nobody ever goes?" Bonnie asked, sarcastically. "Please." She started to turn but Julius was suddenly right front of her.

"I only came to this stupid town to track down my daughter," he said angrily. He lifted his forefinger and jabbed it in the air. "I got sidetracked with you and all the bullshit that comes with being around you. I wish I would've left a long time ago since I've been wasting time catching feelings for a witch who obviously had no intention to ever help me!"

"Get your finger out of my face!" Bonnie hissed through gritted teeth. Julius narrowed his eyes at her and she did the same. He slowly dropped his finger. He wasn't in the mood for an aneurysm. "Don't tell me I had no intention to help you because I did! As for you catching feelings...I never wanted or anticipated that. You can't blame me for that."

"Don't do that!" He snapped. "Don't pretend like these feelings are one-sided. Not after what happened last night."

"A weak moment on both our parts."

"Bullshit!" He cried, angrily. "It's happened twice, and I know you feel what I feel."

"That first time doesn't count."

"You kissed me back, Bonnie."

"That's debatable," she argued. "It all doesn't matter anyway, Julius. Regardless of how you or I feel, we could never be anything more than friends."

"Why?" Julius questioned. "Because of Jeremy? Damon? Elena and Caroline? Have your so-called friends always dictated your love life?"

Bonnie shook her head sadly, her eyes downcast. "I can't do this." She turned and pushed through the gate. She didn't get very far before he was in front of her again. She sighed. "Please, don't make this any harder."

"They don't decide anything for me," he stated. "If they judge you for who you fall for then fuck 'em."

"It's not just that!" Bonnie cried. She felt emotion welling inside of her and she was doing her best to fight it. "You're dealing with a lot of your own shit that's more important than anything we've got going on. We can fall in love and be blissfully happy for what? A week? Then you'll have to go because your daughter is your number one priority, as she should be! I'll be the one that ends up hurt and alone in the end."

Julius sighed, his defenses melting at the sight of her beautiful, watery jade eyes. "I wouldn't hurt you," he said, seriously. "You have become a priority, Bonnie. I haven't felt this way about anyone in a long time. I can't just let it slip through my fingers." He stepped closer to her and Bonnie instinctively fell into his arms. She could no longer pretend she didn't want to be near him, to touch him, because she so badly did. She needed him to hold her, if only for a second.

Julius wrapped her up in his arms and held her close to his body. She rested her head in on his chest, inhaling the scent of the fabric of his shirt mixed with expensive cologne. He felt surprisingly warm for a vampire, and Bonnie didn't ever want to move. She let a single tear drop as they stood there, holding each other.

"I wish it was different," she murmured softly. "I wish we could have it all."

"We can..." Julius sucked in a deep breath, then pulled out of the embrace and quickly stepped away from her.

"What's wrong?" Bonnie asked in a panic as the veins around his eyes started pulsing.

"You smell intoxicating," he admitted. "And I'm still hungry."

Bonnie sighed then held out her hand for him to take. "Come on," she instructed. "I can take care of it."

* * *

><p><em>Four Years Earlier<em>

_Julius bounded down the stairs of the home he shared with Victoria, trying to contain the smile threatening to break his face at the anticipation of seeing Vee. The hour and a half drive was always worth it._

_"__Vic!" He called out. "Where are you?"_

_"__In here!" Her naturally sultry voice called back from the bedroom. He walked in to the sight of her standing above the bed, folding one of his shirts up and placing it into a nearly full suitcase. A lot of their belongings littered the bed and the drawer tops with a couple other open suitcases._

_"__What are you doing?" Julius asked, his eyebrow raised._

_"__Oh, did I forget to mention?" Victoria replied, casually. "We're moving."_

_"__Excuse me?"_

_"__We. Are. Moving," she enunciated, now placing his favorite pair of basketball shorts into the suitcase._

_He shook his head. "No, Victoria, we have to talk about this," he pleaded. "Why would you want to leave? You love California almost as much as I do. This is my home. I don't want to go."_

_"__You're Australian, Julius!" she snapped. "You're home is technically in Melbourne."_

_"__I've been here since I was seventeen," he reminded her. The prospect of disappearing with Victoria and possibly never seeing Valerie or April again was one he couldn't handle. He couldn't let it happen. "No. I'm not moving, but if you're annoyingly clingy pack of friends want to go I'll be more than fine with that."_

_Victoria rolled her eyes. "How many times do I have to tell you, they're like my family," she said. "I've been with them longer than I've been with you. We always travel together."_

_Victoria was the unspoken leader of a small, mixed coven. There was the resident witch, Bryan, and a vampire couple, Anton and Akira, making Julius the lone human. Anton was 125 years old, nothing compared to Victoria's 300, but more than Akira's 94. Anton and Akira had fallen in love while she was still human, and Anton had been the one to turn her at her insistence. Each of them seemed to have their own personal obsession with Victoria, in love with her in different ways. Bryan wanted to be in Julius' place, have Victoria as his woman and his lover, never having to share her with anyone. Akira admired her, wanted to be just like her with her beauty and demand of power. The way everyone, human and supernatural alike, seemed to always immediately respect Victoria, love her, want to adhere to her every demand. Akira desired that more than almost anything. Anton had been made vampire from her blood and they'd stuck together ever since. She taught him how to be one of the undead, and even enjoy it. She'd saved his life countless times and he knew he wouldn't be half the vampire he was if it wasn't for her. He'd gladly take a stake to the heart for Victoria. They'd never confirmed it, but Julius had a strong feeling that Victoria may have engaged in a threesome with Anton and Akira once, probably decades before he or Bryan were even born._

_In their two years together, the prospect of Victoria turning Julius into a vampire had never come up and he prayed it never would. He knew for sure he never wanted to be one, especially now that Vee was in his life._

_"__I wish we could at least get rid of Bryan," Julius mumbled.__"__The guy is madly in love with you and can't stand the sight of me."_

_"__He's not a threat and you know that," Victoria said, her attitude clear. "There's this cute little town in Virginia I want to head to. Mystic Falls. Anton was there for a short time in the early 1900s. We can check it out and if we don't like it, we'll move on. We leave tomorrow."_

_"__What?!" Julius cried. "No, we can't. I won't."_

_Victoria angrily slammed the suitcase she was packing shut. "I'm sorry!"_

_"__It's okay, Vic-"_

_"__I'm sorry you seem to think you have a choice in the matter." She approached him, her gray eyes narrowed, arms crossed over her chest. Julius quickly backed up. He did not want to piss her off into compelling him. Then, he wouldn't even get to say goodbye._

_"__I'm sorry Victoria, I didn't mean to upset you," he said. "This is all just so sudden. I'm going to run out and give you some time to cool off."_

_"__Where are you going?"_

_"__Into LA," he lied, starting away. "If we're leaving I want to see the city one last time. Say goodbye." She said nothing and heard the sound of the front door slamming a moment later. She fought the urge to fly after him and snap his neck right there, but that would be too easy. He had lied to her yet again. No one ever lied to Victoria. Men groveled at her feet for a chance to be with her. She chose this insignificant human, and he thanked her by lying and sneaking off to see that girl. The girl he had sworn he never wanted to see again because Victoria was the only woman he needed in his life. And there was a _**_baby_**_. Thinking about it made her sick to her stomach._

_For the first time in centuries, she felt like a fool. She thought their love was real. After their first meeting, she chose not to compel him ever again because she so desperately wanted their love to be real. Seeing him come out of that house, April and that child smiling and waving to him like they were the perfect little family, just saying goodbye to Daddy until he got home from work, made her beyond furious. It made her want to revert to her old ways and commit heinous, murderous acts. She couldn't. She had to be smart and play it cool. She was going to make him pay. He was going to suffer. He would suffer until he was crying a pool at her feet, a former shell of a man, begging for her forgiveness. If she did decide to forgive him, they would leave, and live out their rest of their existence together as she had planned from the moment she laid eyes on him. Either way, Julius' life would change forever, and April and Valerie would not be apart of it._

* * *

><p>Stefan was deeply concentrated as he scribbled away in his journal. It had been a long time since he'd written anything in it, and being back home had put him in the mood to write. He'd already been at the table for an hour, and the words just kept flowing as he filled in on everything that had been going on for the past few months. Including Elena's former sire bond and now passionate love for Damon. He was interrupted by a knock at the door. He sighed and got up to put his journal away. The uninvited guest was soon knocking again.<p>

"I'm coming, relax," he said with a sigh as he made his way down the front hallway. He opened the door to reveal a petite, brown-skinned, green-eyed Bennett witch standing on his front step. "Oh, hey, Bonnie."

"Good evening, snitch," she said, walking past him into the house with her nose in the air.

"Sure, come on in," he said, sarcastically, shutting the door.

"Where's Damon?" She asked, stopping in front of the living room entryway.

"I think he's at Elena's," Stefan replied. "I'm guessing from that friendly greeting that you're not too thrilled that I opened my big mouth."

"Oh, so you _can _take a hint," Bonnie snidely remarked.

"I'm sorry, Bon," he said, walking over to her. "I didn't expect Damon to be so...bothered."

"When is he ever not bothered?"

"True," Stefan laughed. "Just so you know, Caroline was here earlier asking me about what I told Damon. I didn't tell her anything!" He quickly quelled her near panic attack. "She's probably going to have some questions for you next time you talk to her, though. It's weird. I haven't been gone that long but when I come back everything is different. When I left you and Jeremy were over the moon for each other."

Bonnie sighed. "Jeremy and I have had problems for awhile," she confessed. "I just try not to wear my heart on my sleeve. I always have to be the strong one."

"Not always," Stefan said, shaking his head. "You can be honest about your feelings with your friends."

"Friends," Bonnie repeated. "The same friends that banded together against me and tried to kill Julius, someone who hadn't done a damn thing to any of us. Just the possibility that he _might_ was enough for everyone conspire to get rid of him. Even me. I was a complete, cold bitch to him from the moment I realized what he was, all because of what other vampires had done to me. And now I...now I think I might like him a little bit." She met Stefan's eyes. He was gazing at her thoughtfully and with a hint of concern. "Or a lot. And it scares me."

"It's okay, Bonnie," Stefan assured her. "You're allowed to have feelings for whoever you want. There's nothing I or anyone can say about it. Damon and I have been in love with the same girl twice. Caroline dated two best friends, and Elena dated two brothers. None of us are in a position to jude you. You've always been a good judge of character. If you think he's one of the good ones, he probably is."

"I'm not always such a good judge," Bonnie said. "I didn't like you at first."

"In your defense, my being a blood-sucking demon is off-putting to a lot of people when they first find out," he joked.

"You're not a demon," Bonnie said, with a smile. "You are, however, quite the snitch."

"Okay, what is it going to take for you to forgive me for that?" Stefan asked with a laugh.

Bonnie pretended to ponder for a moment. "I guess you can give me a few of the blood bags you've got stashed in the basement."

Stefan's face twisted in confusion. "What?"

"Just a few...for now. Please."

"I don't think they're the type you like, Bonnie," he remarked, sarcastically.

"They're not for me," she stated. Stefan nodded in understanding.

"Just give me a minute," he requested. She nodded and he disappeared from the room. A couple minutes later, he was back with the goods. Bonnie took them into her arms with a grateful smile.

"Thanks, Stefan," she said and he gave her a head nod. She walked over to the front door and he opened it for her. She stepped out onto the porch before turning to look back at him. "As you can tell from my little rant earlier, we kind of started to fall apart in your absence. I think we've all realized how integral you are to our little dysfunctional group. Glad to have you back, Salvatore. And our entire conversation tonight, will be just between us. Right?" She asked, pointedly.

"Absolutely. My lips are sealed," Stefan promised. "Our little blood transaction should be kept between us as well." That translated into, _Don't tell Damon. _Bonnie made the motion of zipping her lips shut. He smiled at her and she stepped away.

She climbed into the white Audi parked in the front, tossing the blood bags into a waiting Julius' lap with nonchalance. "Got you some A neg," she said as she started up the car. "You're welcome."

"You are a miracle woman," he said, thankfully. He looked at her in awe as she drove away from the boardinghouse. She didn't return the gaze, just kept her eyes on the road, with a smile on her face.

* * *

><p>Bonnie walked into her bedroom, freshly showered and donned in a clean pair of pajamas. Her face was devoid of all make-up, and her damp hair fell over her shoulders in ringlets. Julius was lounging on her bed, his black jacket slung over the back of her desk chair, and he sat up when she entered. If he had a beating heart, he swore it would've skipped at the sight of her.<p>

"Goddamn, you're gorgeous," he told her. "Come here."

She smiled and approached the bed. He guided her into his arms and they fell back onto the bed, his head on her pillows, her head on his chest, their arms wrapped around one another. The smell of Dove soap filled his nostrils, and her natural scent smelled even sweeter than the blood he'd just filled up on.

"I'm sorry," he said, breaking the momentary silence. "I acted a complete ass earlier."

"I'm sorry too." Bonnie lifted her head to look at him. "For looking through your phone and forcing you to tell me something you weren't ready to talk about. You're guarded for a reason, and I should let you open up to me on your own." She rested her head back on his chest.

"I just hope you don't run screaming from me when I do," he said.

"I won't," Bonnie stated, confidently. "I've been surrounded by vampires, werewolves, hunters, and mediums for years. Nothing shocks me anymore."

_We'll see_, Julius thought to himself. He was already preparing himself to lose her when he told her about his past, so for now he was going to enjoy every moment she allowed him to spend with her. Even if she was going to stick him in the friendzone, he would be grateful to be a part of her life. True friends were hard to come by, especially for someone like him.

"You're amazing, Bonnie Bennett," he complimented her. "I don't know how thin these walls are, but aren't you afraid your father might hear us talking in here?"

"No, I put a spell on the room," she said. "We can hear what's going on out there but nothing can be heard coming from in here. He would have to actually walk in. He might check on me in the morning though, before he leaves for work, so..."

"Don't worry," Julius said. "I'll just stay until you fall asleep. He'll never know anyone else was in here."

Bonnie shifted her body until she was eye level with him. "I can't say I don't need the rest." They gazed at each other for a moment, then Bonnie planted a soft kiss on his cheek. She moved underneath the covers, then turned and rested her head on the pillows. It wasn't until she felt him move then wrap his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him, that she was able to shut her eyes.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: For Bamon fans, I know it was bleak this chapter but there will be a lot more Bamon interactions that aren't so hostile. **

**I can't thank you all enough for reading and telling me exactly how you feel! It's risky writing about an OC in the TVD universe but now I think I made the right move posting this. ****Every review/fav/follow adds fuel to my fire to continue writing this fic. Whether you're for Julonnie (official ship name coined by randomlittleme) or Bamon, you've supported this story! Thank you! :)**

**Love you guys!**


	9. To Love and Die

**A/N: I'm back with another late update! I'm annoyed with myself, but I do my best. I'm really nervous about uploading this chapter and I'm not sure why, but I really hope you guys enjoy reading. I have to give a special thank you to leni18 for pointing out a glaring mistake in the last chapter that has since been fixed, thank you so much for helping me out. Sometimes I rush to put out updates ****as soon as I finish and don't properly edit so these things may go by unnoticed so please let me know if you notice any mistakes, guys. Also, I had said last chapter that Julius moved to the U.S. when he was fourteen but I changed it to seventeen, so don't be confused when it's mentioned this chapter.**

**Sidenote: Bamon shippers, if you haven't been watching TVD this season you must! It's the season of Bamon in my opinion, and the last episode proved that. My Bamon heart couldn't take the Bamon feels, lol, they love each other!**

**Anyway, hope you guys enjoy!**

**Song: To Love and Die by Jhene Aiko. Seriously, this song is perfect for this fic and TVD in general. I love it.**

* * *

><p><strong>9 - To Love and Die<strong>

_Four Years Earlier..._

_Chris Hendrick wasn't an impressive young man. At twenty-two years old, he was unsure of what he wanted to be, going to community college only to appease his mother, more interested in hooking up with hot chicks and smoking weed than working or doing homework. He was handsome, but immature, and misguided according to his parents. _

_He left his Sociology class, which he'd managed to sleep through entirely, and headed toward his Dodge Charger in the student parking lot. He was walking fast, eager to get home and roll up a fattie, so he failed to notice he was being closely watched by two females members of the undead. The two had scouted him out nearly a week ago, and were now ready to initiate him into their coven._

_"__There's our potential," Akira whispered to Victoria._

_"__Not a potential, our definite," Victoria corrected as she stood. In a flash, she was at the Dodge Charger, startling Chris. _

_"__Hello, handsome," she greeted with a sexy smirk. She stepped closer to him and her eyes dilated as she asked him one question he'd never thought would be asked of him. "How would you like to kill someone?"_

_His eyes took on a look of wonderment as he responded. "I would love to kill someone."_

* * *

><p>When Bonnie rose in the morning she had a strange feeling. She knew she'd been dreaming throughout the night but she couldn't remember the dream itself. All she could recall was two numbers. <em>8, 28<em>.

"8, 28," Bonnie mumbled to herself as she climbed out of the bed. She had no idea what the numbers meant, but the last time she'd had a numerical vision it ended up being a hint to her history teacher's murder. Bonnie could never forget about those numbers (8 , 14, and 22), or that night. The house was still as her father had already left for work, and Julius had silently slipped away before sunrise.

As she was getting ready for the day she received a text from Caroline. _Grill tonight w/ me and Elena?_

Sure. She missed her girls. As she was typing a reply a call came through, throwing her off.

"Hello?"

"Rise and shine, beautiful," a sexy accent came through the phone. Bonnie smiled at the sound of Julius' voice.

"Good morning to ya mate," she responded in a horrible imitation of his accent, receiving a chuckle from him.

"Any plans today?"

"Depends on why you're asking," Bonnie snidely replied.

"I want to take you to the Falls," he responded. "I came across it the other day and thought it was a good place for us to spend some time together. Hopefully, with no interruptions this time."

"I think that's something we can work out."

"Okay, be there to get you soon. Is everything all right?"

"Yes. Why do you ask?"

"It seems like you've got your mind on something," he said. "I can hear it in your voice."

"It's just that...all night I was seeing these two numbers," Bonnie revealed. "8, 28."

"8, 28?" Julius repeated, thoughtfully. "Like August 28th?"

"I don't know," she replied. "Does that day mean something to you?"

"Yes," he said. "That was the day I became a vampire."

* * *

><p><em>Four Years Earlier...<em>

_'__We can just run away. Yes. I'll go to her, tell her everything, and we can take Vee and go. Maybe I'll take them back to Australia. Maybe Victoria will find someone else and move on. Maybe she won't come after us. Maybe..._

_Julius was deep in thought as he crossed the street of his home. Today was the day he was supposed to be leaving town with Victoria and her coven, and he was dreading it. He'd went to see April and Vee after a heated discussion with Victoria the day before, but he just couldn't bear to say goodbye. Vee was so happy to see him, April was smiling the whole time, and she didn't make one remark about how he'd hurt her in the past. It was only love between the three of them, it seemed April had finally forgiven him for leaving. If he left again, there would be no way she could ever find it in her heart to forgive him again._

_All these thoughts were running through his mind as he crossed the street from his house to the house where Anton and Akira resided to retrieve some bags at Victoria's request. The door to his home had been left ajar, as he was only making a quick run, and he was still in Vic's line of vision. Even if he had been fully focused on his surroundings, he wouldn't have been prepared for the Charger speeding at him at nearly 90 mph._

_The vehicle crashed into him on full impact. He slammed into the windshield then rolled over the top before hitting the ground hard. The car sped off, not even attempting to stop. Julius lay on the cold ground, broken and bleeding. He heard sounds of panic which started to grow fainter by the second. He couldn't move, could barely see through the red haze._

_"__You're going to be okay, baby." Victoria's tears hit his face as she cradled his head._

_"__Jesus, he's still alive," Akira observed._

_"__I can fix this," Victoria sobbed. "Anton! Akira! Do not let anyone call 9-1-1!"_

_"__I'm on it," Anton, along with his wife, got to work compelling the approaching neighbors _

_Victoria's fangs burst from her gums and she bit into her wrist as Julius was rapidly slipping away. She placed her bleeding wrist to his mouth. "Drink, baby, please drink it," she coaxed. "You're not dying on me today." The blood trickled down his throat and she watched as his wounds healed, and heard the sound of his heartbeat pick up._

_"__Thank goodness!" She cradled his head, lovingly._

_"__I'm okay, baby," Julius spoke clearly. She stood and pulled him up with her._

_"__Don't ever scare me like that again," she scolded, holding him so close their foreheads touched._

_"__It came out of nowhere," Julius said, breathlessly, still in shock. "You saved my life. I love you so much, Vic. You saved my life."_

_Victoria took him by the hand and pulled him along, past Anton and their newly compelled neighbors, and into the house._

_They were instantly all over each other, Julius kissed her passionately, as if it could be the last time he'd ever get to, and she tore away his bloodied clothes with ease. They didn't even make it to the bedroom. The fell onto the hallway floor and took each other right there._

_Victoria smiled to herself as Julius collapsed on top of her, whispering how much he loved her into her ear._

* * *

><p>"I can't believe you're making me hike," Bonnie pouted as she followed Julius uphill. "Can't you just vamp speed us to the top?"<p>

"Where's the fun in that?" Julius replied.

"I know you're not from here, but hiking in Virginia could never be fun, boo," Bonnie quipped.

Julius chuckled and shook his head. "You're cute when you pout," he observed. "What are you on about anyway? We're already here." He held out his hand for her to take and pulled her up the last bit of hill. She smiled at him and he walked her over to the edge, still holding onto her hand, so they could take in the view.

"It's not Los Angeles, but it'll do," he joked. Bonnie looked at him curiously.

"You used to live in LA?"

He nodded. "It's where I lived when I first came to the States," he revealed. "I was seventeen years old." Bonnie turned to face him.

"Tell me more," she requested.

"Okay," he said with a shrug. "I grew up in Melbourne, Australia. I have a really small family. One younger sister, she would be about twenty-seven now. We were raised by our grandmother who passed away which is why we moved to the States. We lived with her sister, but I moved almost as soon as I turned eighteen." He paused.

"And..."

Julius shrugged. "I guess there's one thing I should tell you," he said, uncertainly. "My real name isn't Julius."

Bonnie was taken aback. "Seriously?"

He nodded. "My real name is Jonathan. Jonathan Taylor."

"Wow...that is something I would never have guessed," Bonnie said in disbelief. "Jonathan. It's a nice name. Why do you call yourself Julius?"

"I'm not the same person I was six years ago," he explained. "I guess it represents how I've changed, which is why I kept the name. It was given to me by Victoria."

"Is she your daughter's mother?"

He shook his head, his expression now a grave one. "No, she's the woman I left my daughter's mother for." Julius gauged Bonnie's reaction then snatched his hand from hers. "Don't. Don't look at me with those little judgmental eyes." He started to walk away from her but she ran up behind him and grabbed his hand.

"Julius, I'm not judging you," she said, calmly. "You're being sensitive because you expect to be judged, but you're not going to get that from me. I already told you, you can share anything with me." She sat down on the grass and pulled him down with her. "Now, you brought me here for a reason. You want to open up to me. I've shared so much about myself with you, now it's your turn."

He sighed and nodded. "You're right. I don't know why it's so hard for me."

"You don't have to start with Julius," Bonnie compromised. "Start off with Jonathan. Tell me about Jonathan."

So he did. He told her about growing up in Australia without his parents, April being one of the first people he met in California and they were friends before they started dating. He explained how he hadn't spoken to his sister, Jacqueline, in years but last he'd heard she'd married and left Cali, but he had no clue where she now resided. He'd been cut off from everyone he knew when Victoria came into his life. His relationship with her was intense and passionate, even more so after he became a vampire. She taught him everything about being one of the undead, like compulsion, manipulating another's dreams, feeding without killing, and vervain. The last of which he'd known nothing about before being turned. After keeping him enslaved to darkness for over a year, an unspoken punishment for his betrayal, she had her warlock give him a daylight ring.

When he left her, he'd traveled back to Cali to check on his daughter to find she'd been taken from her home. He knew immediately Victoria was behind it. He did his best to track them down, and it hadn't been easy. Regardless, Julius was willing to do whatever it took to get Valerie to a safe place, away from vampires.

Bonnie noticed he skipped over the details of the day he'd been turned but she let it go. Maybe it just wasn't time yet. The hours passed and eventually their conversing turned into making out.

Julius was laying on the grass, Bonnie lay halfway on him, her leg slung over his as they tasted each other. The sun was getting lower in the sky and Bonnie knew they would have to go soon. It was best, because they were both getting hot as their kissing intensified.

Bonnie had moved completely on top of him, and he had his hands firmly placed just below her bottom, fighting the urge to move them up and grip the ass he loved to admire when she wasn't looking. Bonnie pulled away for a moment to look him in his eyes.

"You don't know how bad I want to have you right here and now," he told her in a whisper. She shifted her eyes down nervously. Nervous because she wanted the same thing.

"Julius..."

"I know you're not ready," he cut her off. "You're so sexy it's impossible not to want you. I am a patient man, and you're worth waiting for. I will be looking forward to the day you say yes." He moved her hair out of her face so he could really look in her eyes as he spoke. Bonnie gave a small smile before kissing him again softly.

"This isn't temporary," he declared, suddenly. She looked at him curiously. "Yes, my daughter is my first priority, but I accepted the fact, years ago, that I could never be a real father to her. I'm a vampire with supernatural enemies. It's way too dangerous for her to be with me. I just want to bring her to people who are going to love and care for her, keep her safe, and I'll continue to love her from afar. I will have to go and take care of that but I promise, I will come back for you."

* * *

><p><em>Four Years Earlier...<em>

_Julius woke up in an empty bed. A piece of paper lay on the pillow beside him, and he picked it up to see Victoria's perfect calligraphy flowing across the page. _**_'Went with Akira to run some last minute errands. You looked so peaceful I didn't want to wake you. We should be back by 10, then we're hitting the road. I love you so much, Julius, and I can't wait to begin this new journey with you. Love, Victoria,' _**_it read._

_Julius looked at the clock that sat atop the nightstand. It was approaching 5:00. It took nearly two hours to get to April's and he wouldn't have a whole lot of time to explain the situation and tell her he was leaving, possibly forever. He jumped out of the bed and dressed in record time. He burned rubber all the way to his baby mother's home._

_April was surprised to see Julius when he arrived but could immediately tell something was up. "What's wrong?" She asked as she let him inside._

_"__Where's Vee?" He asked instead of answering her question. _

_"__She's upstairs taking a nap," she replied. "What's going on?"_

_"__Can I see her?"_

_April nodded and led him up the stairs to the baby's room. Vee lay in her crib, looking peaceful and beautiful as ever. Julius gazed at her for a moment before April broke him out of his reverie._

_"__Jon, is there something wrong?"_

_"__We need to talk," He walked out and April followed him into the bedroom they previously shared as a couple, as he didn't want to wake the slumbering child. _

_"__You're really making me nervous. What's up?"_

_"__I don't know how to say this so I'm just going to say it," he started. "I'm here to say goodbye."_

_"__What?"_

_"__Victoria and I are leaving Cali tonight," he told her. "I don't know when, if ever, we'll be back."_

_April shook her head in disbelief. "You cannot be serious," she said. "You are not doing this to us again."_

_"__I hate that I'm doing this but..."_

_The sound of the door slamming downstairs interrupted Julius' sentiment. They both froze."What was that?" He asked her._

_"__I have no idea," she replied, her eyes wide. The sound of footsteps on the stairs was quickly followed by a man bursting into the bedroom._

_"__What the fuck is this?!" He bellowed._

_"__Who are you?!" Julius exclaimed._

_He looked past him to April. "I knew you would do this to me," he said angrily. "I knew you would hurt me. You want to tell him who I am, April?" _

_"__I have no idea who you are, or what's going on!" April cried_

_"__You're going to deny me in front of him, you bitch!" He spat. _

_"__Hey!" Julius shouted angrily, stepping in front of the guy and shoving him. "That's the mother of my child. Don't ever disrespect her! I don't know who the hell you are, but you're getting the fuck out of this house."_

_April gasped as the man pulled pulled a shotgun out of his jacket and pointed it right between Julius' eyes. "Want to say that again, tough guy?" He challenged._

_Julius' heart rate accelerated but he didn't let it show on his face. He took a slow, tentative step backward. "That's not necessary, man..."_

_"__You really shouldn't have come here," the guy told him. His hand was shaking as he kept the gun pointed at him, his heart racing just as fast as April's and Julius'. He didn't want to be doing this, but he had no choice._

_"__Why are you doing this?" April asked, her voice cracking_

_"__He can't have you," he answered. He kept his eyes on Julius. "You can't have her."_

_Bryan heard the gunshot, followed by April's piercing scream, from outside and smiled to himself. Her screams soon ceased. Less than five minutes later, Chris Hendrick emerged from the house, slightly shaken, blood splattered on his clothes. He'd never thought at one point in his life he would murder someone he didn't even know._

_"__It's done, it's time for you to do the spell," he told Bryan as he stormed past him to the car. "I'm going to call Victoria and tell her Julius is dead."_

* * *

><p>"And this is where we part." Bonnie said with a heavy sigh. She and Julius lingered in front of her door, holding each other's hands.<p>

"Not ready for me to meet the old man yet, huh?" Julius said.

"_You're_ not ready, trust me," Bonnie replied. "Once he sees you it'll be non stop questions and disapproval. He barely even liked Jeremy." Julius nodded in understanding.

"I can come to your room once you get upstairs," he offered hopefully.

"I have to get ready to meet with Caroline and Elena, remember?" She reminded him. "You'll just distract me."

"I won't distract you. I won't even talk, I'll just watch you dress."

"Yeah, okay, you can wake up from that dream right now," Bonnie quipped. Julius groaned, causing her to giggle.

"Thanks for coming with me today," he said in a serious tone. "It's nice having someone I can just talk to."

"Thanks for bringing me," Bonne responded. "I have to say...I'm not happy about the reason you came to Mystic Falls, but I'm glad that you came regardless." They smiled at each other and Bonnie stood on her tippy toes and planted a kiss on him. She turned to open the door and he stepped back.

"I'll be seeing you later, beautiful," he promised and when she looked back to reply he was already gone.

She stepped inside and was a little surprised by how quiet it was. She expected to hear the TV going or her father on an important business call. "Dad!" She called. "Dad, I'm home!" There was no response so she jogged up the stairs and checked his bedroom. It was empty but it did look as if he'd recently occupied his desk. His car was in the driveway but he was nowhere to be found.

She headed to her own room and stopped short in the doorway. A trail of what looked like blood ran from the middle of her room to the wall where a message was written in red. **_Stay away from Julius. _**More blood trailed into the bathroom, where the door was slightly ajar. Her heart was racing as she burst into the bathroom. Another message awaited her on the mirror above the sink.

**_HELP HIM _**

**_YOU DIE_**

Blood was splattered all over the sink and the tile, and a bloody handprint smeared the edge of her bathtub. She snatched back the curtain of the shower and her eyes widened in horror before a bloodcurdling scream ripped from her throat.

* * *

><p>Damon studied Stefan closely, as the younger Salvatore sat with a smirk on his face. "Really? That's your best poker face?" Damon quipped. Stefan shrugged.<p>

"It's your move, big bro," he challenged. He felt his phone vibrating in the pocket of his jeans and held up a finger to Damon to put their poker game on hold. He pulled out the phone and, seeing it was Bonnie, put his cards down and got up to distance himself from the table. "Hey Bon, what's up?"

Damon's ear perked up at hearing Bonnie's name. He couldn't think of any possible reason why Bonnie would be calling Stefan. "What's wrong?" Stefan's tone instantly turned to one of concern. Damon got up and stood behind Stefan to better hear the conversation. He frowned at the sound of Bonnie sobbing on the other end. "Don't worry, I'll be right there. It'll be fine." He ended the call and turned to see Damon staring at him. "I have to go."

"I'm going with you," Damon stated firmly.

"Fine, but it has to be now," Stefan demanded and the two men quickly exited the boardinghouse. Stefan burned rubber all the way to the witch's abode, causing them to reach their destination in record time while miraculously avoiding getting pulled over by the police. They sped onto the porch and Stefan found that the door was unlocked. He rushed in, having been previously invited in months ago, but Damon was unable to put his foot through the door.

"She has to come invite me in!" Damon cried.

"No time!" Stefan cried back as he rushed up the stairs. "I'll be back in a minute!" Damon angrily cursed to himself as he could do nothing but wait there, and there was nothing he hated more than being inactive in an emergency situation.

Stefan quickly found Bonnie's room and burst into the bathroom. Her father lay in the tub, unconscious and bleeding. Bonnie sat beside the tub, holding his hand and her free hand was above his chest as she muttered an incantation.

"Bonnie..."

Her head snapped up at the sound of his voice and she jumped up at the sight of him. "His pulse is getting weaker," she explained. "I was trying to stop the bleeding...can you please give him some blood?" Stefan nodded and kneeled down next to Rudy. He bit into his wrist and forcibly opened Rudy's mouth to try to get him to swallow the blood. Bonnie watched with red-rimmed eyes. She sucked in a breath when her father began to stir. Stefan pulled his hand away and the man opened his eyes.

Ten minutes later, Stefan was still on his hands and knees, scrubbing the blood off the marble tub. Bonnie re-entered the bathroom, the tears now stained dry on her face. "It's done," she announced. She settled on the floor beside Stefan, picking up one of the sponges. "He will be flying back to Nevada tonight." Bonnie had decided to put a memory spell on him so he wouldn't remember the last few hours, after getting all the information she could out of him. "He couldn't tell me who attacked him, what they looked like. It wasn't vampires though, because they came in uninvited. When he came home, none of the lights were working. He was hit from behind, knocked unconscious. They did that to him while he was unconscious. Whoever is responsible for this is sick, Stefan."

"We will find out who's responsible, and they will pay for this," Stefan promised, looking her directly in the eye so she could see how serious he was. He moved toward her and put his arm around her, comfortingly. "Everything is going to be fine, okay?" Bonnie nodded sadly. He took the sponge out of her hand. "Don't worry about this, I'll take care of it. Come on, let's go downstairs. Damon is waiting outside."

"Damon is here?"

"Of course, he wouldn't let me leave without him," Stefan revealed as he stood, lifting her up with him.

Damon was still pacing the front porch impatiently when his brother came down with Bonnie. "Finally," he said as they approached. He frowned at the sight of their bloodied clothes. "What the hell is going on?"

"My father was attacked," she stated, gravelly. She held out her phone to Damon. "They wrote on my wall and my mirror in his blood." Damon looked at the pictures in her phone.

"Julius," he muttered. "Of course."

"Bring her back to our house," Stefan instructed, gently guiding Bonnie toward Damon. "Call Caroline and Elena, she doesn't need to be alone tonight. I'm going to finish cleaning up here and make sure her dad gets on the plane safely. I'll be home as soon as I can."

Damon nodded, placing his hands on Bonnie's shoulders and leading her off the porch to Stefan's car. He stopped at the passenger side to look Bonnie in the eyes as he spoke. "I am sorry this happened, Bonnie," he told her, and for what felt like the first time, she could see the genuineness in his eyes. "I swear, I am not going to let anything or anyone hurt you. They will pay for this."

* * *

><p>Bonnie sat in the armchair in the living-room of the boardinghouse, still visibly shaken. The Salvatores, along with Caroline and Elena, paced the floor while discussing what should be done. Bonnie was barely even listening.<p>

"I almost lost him," she mumbled to herself. "If I'd come home any later..."

"Bon, none of this is your fault," Caroline assured, having overheard the witch's sentiment.

"She's right, it's that Australian asshole you've been hanging around's fault," Damon quipped.

"Damon..." Stefan's tone was disapproving,

"It's the truth," Damon's face was twisted in annoyance.

"We have no clue who was behind the attack," Elena chimed in. "Just that it wasn't vampires. We need to find out what Julius knows."

"I know one thing," Damon started. "Bonnie can't stay at that house anymore."

"Excuse me?" Said the witch with a raised eyebrow.

"He's right," Stefan agreed. "It's too dangerous. You're better off here, where we can easily protect you."

"I don't need protection," Bonnie stated. "My father was the one who I was worried about. Now he's gone. I can take care of myself."

"Bonnie, it's not a bad idea," Elena said. "I've had them as bodyguards before. It's not the worst. Care and I will come keep you company as much as possible."

"Look at that, problem solved," Damon declared. "They can go with you back to the house to get your stuff."

"No," Bonnie said, firmly. "I don't need to be babysat. It's not happening." Everyone's heads turned at the sound of banging at the front door. Stefan looked to Damon.

"Expecting anyone?" He asked. Damon shook his head and Stefan was at the door two seconds later. Bonnie could hear the familiar accented voice when the door was opened. She then remembered she had texted him when she had arrived at the Salvatore house.

"Where's Bonnie? What the hell happened?" He was suddenly in the room, looking at all of them, worry etched on his face. Bonnie stood up and locked eyes with him.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" Damon exclaimed. "You're the reason this happened!" Ignoring Damon, Julius sped over to Bonnie, looking down at her with apologetic eyes.

"I'm so sorry," he said, softly. Everyone studied them closely. He brought his hand to her face, moving her hair, so he could get a good look at her. "Are you hurt? What happened?"

Bonnie suddenly felt herself being pushed back. She fell into Caroline, who swiftly caught her and righted her. Damon was in front of her, glaring at Julius with a look that could kill. "Don't you fucking touch her," Damon hissed at the younger vampire. "I told her you were not to be trusted from the very beginning. You came and interfered in her relationship, caused her to fight with her friends, then she finds a threatening message written in her father's blood because of _you_. Don't you ever fucking touch her again."

"Damon-"

"I don't want to hear it, Bonnie," Damon quickly cut the witch off, eyes still piercing into Julius. "You're staying here, and this guy isn't allowed within five hundred feet of you or this house."

"You don't get to decide that for me," Bonnie argued. Damon looked back at her incredulously.

"What the hell is the matter with you?" He asked her. "All the trouble he's caused you, you should want him dead."

"Maybe we can all sit down and try to discuss this rationally," Caroline suggested, trying to cut the heavy tension in the room. Damon's blue eyes flicked to hers.

"No," he said. "Rationality has gotten us nowhere. I'm ridding us of this problem once and for all."

Shouts erupted in the room as Damon flew at Julius, quickly pinning him to the wall as he snatched up the fire poker that was resting next to the fireplace. "Damon, don't!" Bonnie screeched but he was already driving it through Julius' chest. Julius cried out in pain as did Damon as he staggered back, his hands to his head as he felt his brain cells popping. Julius pulled the poker out of his chest and Bonnie ran over to him as he keeled over.

"You are so damn lucky that wasn't a stake!" Damon hurled angrily at Julius. "I told you before, I'm going to fucking kill you, and I meant it!"

"You're not!" Bonnie screamed at him. "You're not doing anything but making the situation worse!"

"We don't need to be turning on each other," Stefan offered, calmly. "We all need to work together on this."

"He's not one of us, Stefan!" Damon exclaimed. "He's an outsider who's shaking the foundation. If we let him in, he'll bring us down from the inside."

"I am an outsider," Julius agreed, holding his bleeding chest as his wound slowly healed. "The only person in this room I care about is Bonnie, unlike the lot of you who have never put any value in her life." There was a stir in the room and Julius, now healed, stood tall. "That's right. She's told me about the countless times you've put Elena's, or everyone's, life before hers, despite the number times she's saved all your pathetic asses! You've all been willing to sacrifice her for your own selfish reasons. Especially you, Damon. Now all of a sudden you want to play her knight in shining armor and act like you care about her?"

"That's not true," Stefan declared. "We all care about Bonnie, including Damon."

"I can guarantee that I care more about her well-being than all of you combined," Julius argued, angrily. "Which is a shame, seeing as I haven't known her for half the time you all have."

"You know nothing," Damon bit out through gritted teeth.

Julius narrowed his hazel eyes at Damon. "Why do you hate me so much? Because I let her know her worth, because one day she may finally put herself first, and I may be the one behind her, or beside her, wherever she wants me to be, fully in support of her not giving a damn if _you _live or die." The room was dead silent. Damon looked like he was two seconds from ripping Julius' heart out, but he didn't want to catch another aneurysm. "I want Bonnie safe. I could give a fuck less if any of you like me! We now all have a common enemy, which means we're on the same side."

"Which means we're just postponing me killing you," Damon added.

Julius studied him for a moment, then his face contorted into one of rage. He flew at Damon and landed a punch on him so hard it sent the vampire flying across the room. Julius went after him again but Damon quickly steeled himself, and the two clashed. Damon growled angrily as he threw Julius off of him, causing him to crash into the wall. In less than a second, Julius had the same poker Damon had stabbed him with, and it was flying toward Damon's head. Damon ducked at the last second, causing it to impale right through an unprepared Elena's forehead. A collective gasp went through the room as the raven-haired vampire toppled back onto the floor.

"Elena!" Damon sped over to her, along with everyone else, as Julius stood rooted to his spot, his eyes wide as saucers. Caroline quickly yanked the poker from her friend's head.

"Elena, are you okay?" Bonnie asked, hysterically. Elena's eyes were shut, and she wasn't responding. If they didn't know better, they would assume she was dead. Her wound was still bleeding. Bonnie yanked up the sleeve of her shirt, and held her wrist to Elena's mouth. "She needs to drink so she can heal."

"Come on, baby, drink it and you'll be okay," Damon coaxed. Caroline gently moved Elena's head up. She groaned and she soon latched onto Bonnie's wrist, sucking down her blood until the hole in her head completely closed. She opened her doe brown eyes and looked up at everyone crowding her.

"You guys are suffocating me," she rasped, "Back up, please. Aside from a killer headache, I'm fine."

"Thank God." Caroline released a deep breath and stepped back to give Elena space. Damon and Stefan helped her off the floor. Damon felt the rage quickly building up again. He turned to face a relieved Julius, wanting nothing more than to separate his head from his shoulders.

Julius knew it was coming before it even happened. Obscenities flew from Damon's mouth as he pushed him into the brick above the fireplace, his fingers wrapped around his neck. Julius could feel him trying to take his head off as he crushed his trachea. Julius pressed his thumbs into Damon's sockets, pushing his eyes toward the back of his skull. Damon growled in pain before being yanked away. He furiously fought to get out of Stefan's grip. Julius tried to tell him he hadn't meant to hurt Elena but Damon wasn't listening. He burst away from Stefan and went after him again. Punch after punch was exchanged between the two. The living-room was obliterated before everyone's eyes as they crashed into the walls, used furniture as weapons and a defense mechanisms, and tossed each other around relentlessly. Bonnie had never seen anything quite like it. They were moving so fast it was hard to register the damage they were inflicting on each other, and concentrate long enough to give an aneurysm to just the two of them and not every vampire in the room.

Caroline and Stefan tried to get in between them, but only ended up on the receiving end of their wrath. Damon soon got the upper hand, pinning Julius to the floor, crushing his jaw in his hand, looking upon him with the deadliest of expressions. He was going to enjoy snapping his neck, then ripping him apart, limb for limb.

"STOOOPPP!" Bonnie shrieked at the top of her lungs. She concentrated and dealt an aneurysm of incredible strength. The two of them writhed on the floor, in more pain than anything they'd ever felt before. Bonnie didn't end it, despite the fact that the vampires had long rolled away from each other and were begging her to stop. She felt herself getting light-headed but couldn't stop. Someone's hands were on her. There was a loud ringing noise in her ears, drowning out the cries of pain, and someone calling her name. She was being shaken, blood poured from her nose, but she did not relent. Caroline's face appeared before her, blocking her view of Julius and Damon, her face twisted in panic as her mouth moved in a way that suggested she was screaming.

"Boooonnnnieee!" The surrounding sounds all came rushing back in loud and clear, flooding Bonnie's senses. She snapped back. She looked up into Caroline's worried blue eyes, then down at the two men laid out on the floor, unmoving. Stefan still held her by the shoulders.

"Oh." The word escaped Bonnie in a whisper. Then her eyes involuntarily rolled into the back of her head, and she fell back into Stefan's arms. She heard the shouts of panic above her head before being engulfed in darkness.

* * *

><p>When Bonnie came to, she was greeted with a pounding headache. She could hear two people having a hushed conversation but she couldn't even begin to sort out who the voices belonged to. She groaned as she tried to sit up. Someone was instantly upon her.<p>

"Bonnie? Are you okay?"

Bonnie slowly opened her eyes to see Caroline's big blues regarding her worriedly. "I'm okay," she said, sitting up more. Caroline sighed with relief. Bonnie looked up to see Elena gazing down at her as well.

"Are you okay, Elena?" She asked.

"Yep. The beauty of being a vampire is that I was always going to be okay," she said. "Your blood helped speed the process along, so thank you for that."

"I am so sorry for what Julius did to you," Bonnie said.

"It's okay, I've forgiven him," Elena said. "For that at least. He apologized profusely, I know he didn't mean it. Damon did attack him first."

"Where are they?" Bonnie questioned, looking around at the destroyed living-room.

"Damon is downstairs with Stefan," Caroline explained. "That doozy of a spell you did really took a lot out of them. And you. We pumped Damon with a little vervain and locked him in the basement. It's only temporary. He really, really wants to kill Julius and that was the only way to ensure he won't. We didn't want you to wake up to that."

"Bonnie, I have to ask," Elena moved to sit beside Caroline. "Are you and Julius like, a thing now?" Bonnie was nowhere ready to answer this question, but after what had just taken place, she had no choice.

"We haven't exactly defined what we are," she answered, truthfully. "But I guess you could say we're a little more than friends." Both girls looked a little taken aback at her honesty.

"I knew it," Caroline said. "I could see it in the way he looks at you. He's totally in love with you, Bonnie."

"I wouldn't say that," Bonnie countered. "We were just seeing where it was going to go."

"I've seen it too," Elena said. "He loves you."

"Elena, when I was with your brother, Julius and I were strictly platonic," Bonnie assured her friend. "I still care very much for Jeremy, and I wish nothing but the best for him. I know he kind of hates me right now, and I hate to ask anything of you, but..."

"I won't say anything," Elena promised. "Jer is still pretty upset and this would be the last thing he needs to hear. And I'm not mad at you either, Bonnie. I get it. I've been in this exact situation."

Bonnie sighed. "Given what's happened today, a relationship is the last thing I'm worried about. Where's Julius?"

"Outside," Caroline replied. "Stefan was very upset and made him leave the house after you passed out and he was able to get up. He seems to feel really bad about everything."

Bonnie nodded and stood up. "Can you do me a favor and get me the map and a razor. I'll be outside." Elena nodded and the girls silently watched her go. When Bonnie stepped out onto the porch she spotted Julius sitting on the banister, studying something on his cell phone, with a sullen expression. His head lifted as she approached him.

"You're up," he said, swinging his legs over the banister to stand up. "I'm so glad you're okay." He gave her a hug but both held back and it was a little awkward. He wasn't sure how angry she still was, and didn't want to catch yet another brain-fry for daring to touch her after his behavior.

"I'm glad you're okay," Bonnie said softly, sitting on the banister along with him. "What were you looking at?"

"Just some pictures."

"Of Valerie?" She posed it as a question but with a knowing tone. He nodded. "Can I see?" He held out his phone and she studied the picture. The first time she'd seen them it had only been for a second before Julius caught her. Now, she could see how beautiful the little girl really was and how much she resembled her father. Bonnie could only imagine how much those pretty hazel eyes were a reminder of Julius to April everyday she had woken up without him. "She is so beautiful. She has your eyes."

Julius smiled. "Thank you. I miss her so much. It's been years since I've seen her. Those pictures are all I have of her."

"Which is why getting this phone back from Damon was so important to you," Bonne realized. She sighed. "With that spell, I didn't mean for it to go on that long. Something came over me, I was feeling so many different emotions, especially anger, and I just _couldn't _stop."

Julius nodded in understanding. "For a second, I thought you were going to kill me," he confessed. "I would've deserved it." Bonnie reached out and took his hand. He looked at her with uncertain eyes.

"I had a moment, but I could never kill you," she told him. She then narrowed her eyes at him. "But don't you _ever _hurt Elena again."

Julius put his hands up in a vow of obedience. "Never again."

"Bonnie?" Bonnie looked back to see Elena with the map in her hand. She walked over and handed it to her uncertainly. "You're not doing another spell, are you?"

"Just a quick locater spell," Bonnie said.

"I really don't think you need to be doing anymore magic today," a concerned Elena said. "Not after what just happened."

"I'll be fine."

"She may be right, Bon-" Julius started to say.

"I said I'm fine," Bonnie snapped and both vampires shut up. Bonnie stood up and spread the map out on the wicker table. "Give me your hand, Julius."

"What are you doing?" He asked as he held it out

"We are going to locate Valerie," she told him as she split his palm open with the razor. "And you're going to go get her." His blood spilled onto the map. Bonnie began muttering an incantation and Elena and Julius watched as his blood pooled around a certain area. "North Carolina."

"North Carolina?" Julius' brow furrowed. "Why the hell would she bring her to North Carolina?"

"So this isn't the same person who attacked Bonnie's father?" Elena questioned.

Julius shook his head. "Victoria has a group of people ready to do anything she demands," he said. "I doubt she'd do her own dirty work."

"Victoria? I'm so confused, who is that and who is Valerie?" Elena asked. Julius looked to Bonnie who nodded.

"Victoria is my ex-girlfriend," he explained. "She's a vampire, and I was turned from her blood. Valerie is my daughter born from a relationship previous to Victoria. I didn't tell you guys who Valerie was because my main priority is to keep her safe, and the fewer people who know of her existence the better."

"I understand," Elena said. "You didn't have to keep the secret from us. I would never hurt a child. Damon hasn't shown you his best side since you've been here, but he wouldn't hurt a child either, even if it meant hurting you. I want to do what I can to help."

"Thank you. I appreciate that," Julius told her, genuinely.

"How dangerous is Victoria?" Elena inquired. "Will she hurt Valerie?" Julius sighed. Trying to explain the thoughts and actions of a woman like Victoria was not an easy task.

"Victoria and I were together for six years," he began. "She had compelled me to leave my girlfriend, April, which I didn't realize until after I was turned but I was able to forgive her, especially after all she'd done for me and how she'd forgiven me after my indiscretions. I found out about Valerie well after I'd left April for Victoria, and I never told her about it. I started sneaking away to spend time with April and Vee. She told me later on that if I had just told her about Vee she would've been understanding, since the pregnancy happened before we ever met. I felt stupid then, but a part of me knows I kept it from her because I was hoping one day April would take me back.

I was turned in the most horrifying way. The memories of that day still haunt me. I was a broken man, and Victoria was there to pick up the pieces. She helped me to not spiral out of control during my transition. She loved me. I loved her too, but I started to feel empty again. I never told her how I was feeling, just let her think everything was fine. I took the coward's way out of the relationship and left while she was out hunting.

She knew I would check on Vee, so she kidnapped her out of anger and to pay me back for what I did to her. She wanted me to suffer, to feel what it was like to lose a piece of your heart. She wanted me to chase them. I think more than anything she wants me back. If she were to bring any harm to Vee, she knows that will never happen."

"So why would she come here?" Bonnie asked. "Why would she hide from you if that's what she wants?"

"I've made her angry again," he replied. "I realize that she's been having me watched, and she isn't happy about my bonding with you, which explains the attack on your dad and the death threats. She's already been hiding her for months and has been sending me on a wild goose chase. I'm not a tracker, I'm not good at this. The idea to come here struck me one night when I remembered her mentioning moving here about four years ago. When I got turned we ended up traveling to a lot of different places with our coven."

"So, what's your plan?" Elena asked, outright.

"I'm going to go to her and apologize for everything I've done," he said. "I haven't been taking the right approach. There's no way I can take Vee back by force or stealth. I have to get her to forgive me."

"And if she tells you in order to get Vee back you have to be with her?" Bonnie questioned. Julius turned to face Bonnie.

"The last thing I want is to be with her," he said. "I will exhaust every other option."

"Elena, can we have a moment?" Bonnie asked her friend, politely. Elena nodded then disappeared back into the house. Bonnie gingerly took Julius' hand once they were alone. "Being around me is only making things worse for your situation. You need to do whatever it takes to get your daughter," she said. She stepped closer to him, placing her hand to the side of his face to ensure he looked at her when she spoke. "If that entails letting Victoria back in, or just telling her what she needs to hear, than I understand. Regardless, you need to go."

"I can't leave knowing you're in danger," he said, a slight waver in his voice.

"I can protect myself," she promised. "Even if I couldn't, I'm going to be with my friends. Together, we're a force to be reckoned with. We can take Victoria's coven."

Julius gave a half-smile. "You're a force all your own, but I wouldn't underestimate them."

"If I were them, I wouldn't underestimate me," she quipped. He smiled then quickly grew serious again.

"I want to kill them myself," he said. "I will get Valerie, and I will kill every last being in Victoria's coven. Everyone who's responsible for doing this and threatening you."

"One thing at a time. Valerie is what's important."

He placed a soft kiss on her forehead, letting his lips linger there for a moment.

"I hate to say goodbye."

"It's not forever," Bonnie said, reassuringly. "Do what you have to do, then come back to me." Julius cupped her face with both of his hands, lifting her head toward him, then brought his lips to hers. He kissed her softly, and Bonnie's eyes were still closed when she felt him back away. She felt a slight wind pick up around her, and slowly opened her eyes to see she was alone. It took only a moment for the first tear to drop.

"Bonnie." She heard Caroline's voice behind her but she didn't turn. She wasn't surprised or angry that her friends had been listening. She just wanted to be comforted in that moment.

Elena and Caroline did just that, enveloping the little witch in a group hug, allowing her to let out her emotions. About Julius, about her father, it all came rushing to the surface and she sobbed in their arms. They didn't say it aloud, but a knowing look exchanged between Caroline and Elena confirmed to the other what they already knew. Bonnie was in love with Julius as well.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So Julius is leaving, and Damon is going to work on convincing Bonnie to stay with him and Stefan. Our girl is going through a tough time right now, but she's a soldier! Julius still doesn't know that Victoria orchestrated his being turned into a vampire, and it may get ugly when he finds out...**

**Leave your thoughts, and I'll be back with another update! Hopefully sooner than later :)**


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